Hired Help
by BingeB
Summary: Matt is an escort. An ESCORT! Not a hooker, as most people choose to believe. That is until he meets Taichi Yagami and his remaining morals seem to desert him. TAITO! *BEING REVISED - Chapter 1 uploaded*
1. Hired Help

Summary: Matt is an escort. An ESCORT! Not a hooker, as most people choose to believe. That is until he meets Taichi Yagami and his remaining morals seem to desert him. Taito! Rating for sexual scenes and language.

Warnings: SLASH, sexual situations, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

_**Important note: This chap is the first that has been revised! I wanted to improve the spelling and grammar of this story, because a lot of it really bothered me, and I can write much better now. I plan to eventually revise all the chapters, but just for embellishment and spelling/grammar purposes. The plot will not change! (15/04/2011)**_

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**Chapter One - Hired help**

"OK, so maybe this wasn't the best idea I've ever had," Matt muttered to himself as he dithered down the road, scanning the crowd quickly for his next client. As narrowed blue eyes scanned the street, he sighed, running his hand nervously through his hair. Suddenly aware of the many leering eyes following him as he walked, he sped up, silently praying that the none of them were his next customer.

Numerous figures were lounged on doorsteps, puffing smoke into circles as Matt passed. Empty bottles of beer were littered over the road and Matt was instantly reminded as to why the street was a common hangout for druggies and prostitutes.

'And I'm one of them,' he thought miserably.

Trying to diminish the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach from the unwanted attention, he pulled up his tight black pants, which were already riding dangerously low on his hips. Flashing his ass to a whole street of sex deprived drunks was really the last thing he needed.

Finally deciding that it would be more sensible to just stop wandering round like a headless chicken (practically asking to be attacked), and wait for the client, Matt stopped on a street corner. Noting dully that it was incredibly appropriate, he shifted his weight, attempting to look somewhat more confident than he felt. After a few minutes, however, it was becoming increasingly obvious that he was failing miserably.

When the third passer-by decided to take advantage and pinch his ass, he finally spun around, teeth clenched and face tinged red with anger.

The forty-something man, jumped back in surprise, obviously not expecting such a sudden reaction. Holding his hands up in defence, he sneered in what he probably supposed was a seductive smirk, eyes sharp and slanting.

Matt merely scowled in response, fists balled in annoyance, and hissed, "Fuck off, you asshole."

"Hey, if you didn't want people to touch you, you shouldn't walk around in gear like that," the man replied, with a sickening yellow smile. "Look like a slut and you'll be treated like one."

Matt glared coldly and let out a scream, before opening his mouth to reply as acidly as he was capable. Before he could retort, however, a car horn blared behind him.

Jumping in surprise, he swivelled around, momentarily forgetting the middle-aged man that had groped him.

A car had pulled up right on the pavement beside him, the window cracked open, and a voice came from inside. "You must be Matt," it said. "You're just as pretty as I was told. And fiesty by the look of it." There was a brief pause, as the blond stared in astonishment, before a hand shot out and grabbed him, pulling him forwards and into the car. His head spun in confusion, and he cursed, vaguely aware of the door slamming behind him.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed as the car sped away, and took him with it.

"Wow, you really are feisty," commented the man who had grabbed him, features alight with amusement.

He was sat comfortably in the back seat, smiling slightly at the stunned look on Matt's face. Spiky mahogany hair framed a dark tanned face, which was twisted into an expression of undisguised amusement. He was wearing a bright red shirt and jeans, his figure slight but obviously atheletic.

Matt was taken aback for a moment, stunned, because the boy was young, probably not any younger than he was. In other circumstances he might have thought he was cute, but the fact that he had just been kidnapped was somewhat ruining his ability to see the bright side.

"I'm Daisuke by the way," Daisuke said with a grin, apparently not deterred by Matt's complete lack of response.

"What the hell?" Matt repeated, unable of able to think of anything more coherent to say. It dimly occurred to him that he should probably be looking for some kind of escape route, or at least put up a decent fight, but instead he just settled for staring blankly, like the complete coward he was. 'Trust me to get kidnapped in the most boring way possible. I didn't even go out with a bang,' Matt thought, cursing himself for his inability to make a dramatic stand and fight his captors.

"I'm sorry. You're the escort, right? You matched the description you gave us perfectly - there aren't many blondes in these parts, " Daisuke explained. "We're here to take you to your client."

Woken up slightly from his stupor, Matt nodded in understanding, feeling greatly relieved that he wasn't going to be beaten, raped and buried in a sand pit. He hoped.

"Couldn't you just say that instead of kidnapping me? I am being paid for this, you know. I would have come willingly," he pointed out, raising his eyebrows as Daisuke grinned back at him.

"Well, after watching you nearly bite that guys head off in the street, we figured it'd be safer to just take you."

Feeling it was safer - and a lot more professional - to merely ignore him, Matt folded his arms and looked out the window, not even bothering to acknowledge the silent driver, who was exchanging grins with Daisuke. But the silence was uncomfortable, the blond tense with distrust, and after a moment he spoke again, eager to break the icy atmosphere.

"Why are you taking me to the client? Why isn't he here?" Matt asked, glancing from Daisuke to the driver suspiciously.

"Because you're a present," Daisuke said, giving him a very sly wink. "He doesn't know that we've hired you." He reached out and patted Matt on the arm, like attempting to tame a wild animal, and added generously, "But I'm sure he'll be glad. You're definitely gorgeous to look at."

Matt ignored him once more.

"So he doesn't know who or what I am?" he said slowly, digesting the information he was being given and feeling familar dread creep into his stomach. He never liked being used as a surprise - it was always unbelievably awkward.

An absent, "uhuh," was the only reply he received.

"So I'm just supposed to waltz right up to him?" Matt asked, sounded slightly incredulous and undeniably sarcastic.

"Yep," Daisuke replied happily, either not noticing (or simply ignoring) the escort's tone.

Matt blinked.

"Oh, but by the way," the man exclaimed, clicking his fingers, "You'll be going to a party with him, which is why your hired for the whole night."

Matt blinked.

"As his boyfriend."

Matt blinked.

"To make his ex-boyfriend jealous."

Matt blinked.

'How lovely,' he thought absently, dimly surprised at the lengths people would go to to get revenge. He'd seen some strange things during his time as an escort.

The car was silent for the next few minutes, as Matt watched the city lights race past the window, until the car began to slow, pulling up on the side of a street. Daisuke reached for a the door, and tugged impatiently on Matt's sleeve, practically pushing the blond onto the pavement. Matt staggered slightly at the treatment, as he struggled to regain his bearings, pulling up his ever descending pants once more.

"Nice ass," Daisuke grinned, as he climbed out behind him, pointedly eyeing Matt's rear while doing so.

Making a mental note to buy a belt as soon as possible, Matt looked at his surroundings, taking in the long sweep of the street and the flats towering above him. It was similar to his own neighbourhood, and he vaguely recognised it, realising that it probably wasn't too far away from where he lived.

Daisuke had a happy smile on his face as he waved away the car driver and indicated for Matt to follow him. Watching the car speed off and suddenly wishing he could go with it, Matt trailed behind, reluctantly climbing the stairs of the nearest apartment building after Daisuke.

Once they were on the third floor, Daisuke spotted another figure stood in the corridor and instantly broke out into a grin.

Looking quickly past the mahogany haired boy beside him, Matt's attention was immediately drawn to a man of around 19 years old, who was stood against the opposite wall, hands in pockets, and apparently waiting. Like Daisuke, he had brown tanned skin, but was significantly taller, with an amazing mop of brown hair. He appeared a lot more muscled than Matt, who was slender and toned, making it likely that he was an athlete.

Feeling himself blush slightly for blatant staring, Matt turned to Daisuke, who still appeared to be waving at the messy haired man with exaggerated flourish.

Grabbing Matt by the arm, Daisuke bounded towards him, stopping in front of the apartment door that his friend was waiting in front of.

"Hi Tai!" Daisuke announced happily, as Tai's attention focused on the two approaching.

"Daisuke, I've been waiting for ages!" Tai accused, glaring at his friend through the dark. "I want to go inside. But I can't go in alone or Ikato will eat me alive."

"Yeah, I know! I'm sorry. I had to pick someone up first," Dai replied, giving Matt a wink, who instantly coloured in response to the double meaning. Escorting never failed to be completely humiliating.

Tai immediately turned towards Matt, eyes running up and down his body with silent approval, his brows furrowed in confusion, before settling on his face. Shifting uncomfortably under the stare, Matt choose to remain quiet, and glanced to Daisuke for support.

"So, who's your friend?" Tai asked Dai a second later, smiling in a wide and friendly fashion - although he still looked decidedly confused.

Matt gave him an awkward wave. "I'm Yamato. Just call me Matt."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Tai."

Nodding politely in response, Matt glanced at Daisuke, looking for some kind of indication of what to do next. If he was going to turn beetroot red whenever he was in Tai's presence, Matt prayed that Tai was not the client Daisuke had been talking about. He usually never had that kind of response to his customers. Although then again, his customers were usually all middle-aged drunks with lots of nose hair, something that Tai was definitely not.

Noticing that Matt seemed to be staring at Dai in deep thought, Tai raised his eyebrows slightly, looking from the blond to his mahogany haired friend.

"Don't tell me this is your boyfriend," Tai commented with an expression of pure disbelief, sticking out a finger to indicate at Matt, who merely snorted in response.

"I wish," Dai said, nudging Yamato's side playfully and flashing his million watt smile. "Actually, he's yours."

There was a brief silence, as everyone looked at each other, until Tai voiced a very bewildered, "Huh?"

Shrugging in response, Daisuke rang the bell of the apartment door in front of them, ignoring Tai's blank expression as Matt rolled his eyes in aggravation.

"Your boyfriend," Daisuke repeated, as though it was obvious. "You said you needed one because Ikato was going to be here. You know, to show him you've moved on." When Tai nodded in something vaguely resembling understanding, he indicated to Matt, announcing, "So here you are. Matt is your new boyfriend." He pushed the blond forwards. "TA-DAH!"

"What?" Tai yelped, steadying Matt as he staggered slightly.

"I've already told everyone that your bringing your boyfriend, so it's too late to back out now. Now act in love!" Daisuke said, as the door swung open and they were greeted by numerous cries of welcome, music blaring in the background.

Tai and Matt both blinked, staring at the people now stood in the doorway.

A dark haired man stood at the front of the crowd, pale face sneering as he eyed the three stood in the corridor. Flicking his black hair away from his eyes, he grinned viciously at Tai, who had immediately stiffened in response.

"So Tai, this must be your boyfriend Dai was telling me about," the man smirked, icy gaze flicking over Matt, who instinctively glared back. The escort could already tell the man was an absolutely douche and he'd barely said anything yet.

Various whispers came from the others stood in the door, as they looked at Yamato with curiosity and excitement. Ignoring Daisuke's grinning face beside him, Matt smiled nervously, running his hand through his hair.

Tai looked lost for a moment, clearly conflicted, until Ikato's sneering face evidently got the better of him. He arranged his face into a rigid smile, slid arm around Matt's slender waist and pulled him to his side. The blond gritted his teeth, annoyed by the sudden contact, but knew that punching his client in the face was not the best way to get paid. Shivering slightly as Tai's fingers ran gently up his side, Matt tried to look as impassive as possible, while Tai merely grinned.

"That's right Ikato," he said, "This is my new boyfriend."

To be continued…

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_**AN** Ok this is my first fic, so what do you think? Ignore the crappy spelling and grammar. It's not really my strong point._

_Shall I continue? I do actually have some idea where this is going, but I want to see peoples reaction to it first. Review!_


	2. I Only Have Eyes For You

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. Unfortunately.

Summary: Matt is an escort. An ESCORT! Not a hooker, as most people choose to believe. That is until he meets Taichi Yagami and his remaining morals seem to desert him. Taito!

Rating for sexual scenes and language. Be warned - This chapter does contain sexual situations!

**Chapter 2 - I only have eyes for you**

Picking up another drink from the refreshment table, Matt tried with increasing difficulty to ignore the lingering presence behind him.

"If you drink any more my friends and family are going to disapprove!" Tai hissed into his ear, attempting to wrestle the drink out of the Matt's hand without arousing suspicion.

"It's not like they're ever going to see me again!" Matt replied acidly through gritted teeth, shaking off Tai's hand that seemed to be permanently curled around his waist. However Tai merely rolled his eyes in response, surveying the blond closely as he knocked back another shot to vodka.

Glancing around the room, Tai's eyes focused on Ikato, who was watching them with interest. Pressing up closely against Matt's back and resisting the urge to trail his fingers over his hips, Tai decided to try a different approach.

"Do you always wear stuff like this?" he asked innocently, using the question as an excuse to run his hand down Matt's back. Noticing that the blond arched slightly at the touch, Tai glanced back at Ikato, grinning in triumph.

"Only at night," Matt replied, trying to appear as expressionless as possible. However he couldn't help but frown in annoyance, as he was fully aware that Tai was only using him to get on his ex-boyfriends nerves. Although Matt couldn't really blame him, as Ikato was obviously a bit of bastard.

"I doubt you can even breathe in these pants," Tai commented, glancing quickly at Matt's ass.

"I manage," was the only reply.

Sighing in disappointment at the lack of response, Tai turned away, immediately coming face to face with Ikato. However, the dark haired man merely smirked at him, before addressing the slender blond nastily.

"You know, Tai's right. People might get the wrong impression if you go around dressing like that," Ikato sneered, purposely looking Matt up and down judgementally.

"Hey! Don't speak to him like that!" Tai growled defensively, although he was secretly thinking the same thing. But he had to admit, Matt did look incredibly sexy, even if it did border on slutty.

However, the blond merely levelled Ikato with an icy glare, blue eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Your just jealous because I look better in these clothes than you ever would," Matt said mockingly, gulping back another stinging shot of vodka.

Tai laughed as Ikato went red, smirk instantly wiped from his face.

"Watch it blondie! Saying that might come back to bite you in your pretty little ass," Ikato replied acidly, pinching Matt's ass painfully to prove his point.

"Don't touch him!" Tai hissed, now glaring just as fiercely as Matt.

"Getting protective, aren't you Tai?" Ikato asked with raised eyebrows.

"So what? He's my boyfriend! Nobody touches him but me!" he replied possessively, hand moving to rest on Matt's thigh.

Matt rose one golden eyebrow in surprise, glancing down at Tai's hand, which was slowly caressing his thigh. He flushed slightly at how nice it felt, but instantly reprimanded himself, remembering that Tai was just a client he had to entertain. If the bushy haired boy touched him any more intimately, Matt would be forced to punch him, regardless of how good looking he was.

He always made it absolutely clear with customers that personal touching was not allowed, unless granted first, which was almost never the case. Matt did accept that in his profession some groping was required, but when it got too intense, he would always tell the clients to stop. After all, he wasn't a prostitute.

However considering Tai didn't even know he was an escort, Matt thought it would be best to remain silent.

"Nobody touches him but you? Didn't look like that earlier, when Daisuke was drooling all over him," Ikato said smugly, watching as Tai went slightly red.

"He's just your friend, right Yama?" Tai asked, looking at Matt expectantly, who looked taken aback by the affectionate nickname.

"Uh yea. Definitely," he replied, just choosing to go along with what Tai was saying. He was hardly going to point out that he had actually only met Daisuke a few hours ago, when he picked him up off a street corner.

"Didn't just look friendly. Dai was more flirtatious than normal," Ikato pointed out, enjoying the fact that Tai's frown grew deeper and deeper.

Matt knew that Ikato was raising a valid point, as Daisuke had been very touchy-feely with him throughout the party. He had been unnecessarily touching the blond as much as possible, although never as intimately as his bushy haired friend. However it wasn't as if Tai should care, as Matt wasn't really his boyfriend.

"So what if Dai flirts? Anyone can see that Yama is gorgeous," Tai said, suddenly smiling warmly in Matt's direction. Blushing furiously under the intense gaze and silently blaming the vodka, the blond hastily poured another drink.

"Indeed. But don't say I didn't warn you," Ikato said acidly, before turning on a heel and disappearing into the crowd.

Matt and Tai stared silently, blinking at the abrupt exit.

"And you dated him why?" Matt asked mildly, a second later.

"I actually don't know," Tai shrugged, hand still dancing up and down Matt's thigh.

"Why are you doing that?" the blond asked hesitantly, watching the movement of Tai's fingers.

"Oh sorry. Daisuke said to act like a couple. I just got a little carried away," Tai replied, instantly removing his hand.

"I don't mind. If I did I would have said so earlier," Matt found himself saying, despite his better judgement. He couldn't believe he'd basically just given Tai an invitation to grope him, which he tried to avoid with every other client as much as possible.

Besides it wasn't as if he could completely stop Tai touching him, because if Daisuke found out, he wouldn't get paid.

"Dressing like that is practically an invitation for people to touch you anyway," Tai said critically, as Matt began to scowl.

"I'm sorry if my clothes are offending you!"

"I'm just saying you could wear something a bit more tasteful. Nobody would want to date somebody who looks like a hooker," Tai pointed out, oblivious to the murderous look that had crossed Matt's face.

Clenching his jaw and attempting not to punch something, Matt downed another vodka, feeling his head spin in both anger and dizziness.

"Well sorry, for not being good enough to be your fake boyfriend!" he hissed, stalking off into the crowd and leaving Tai blinking behind him.

Muttering angrily under his breath, Matt looked around, realising that he didn't actually know anybody at the party, except the few Tai had introduced him to.

"Bugger. I really didn't think that through," he mumbled, mentally kicking himself for allowing a client to effect him so much. Now thanks to Tai, he was still penniless, alone at a party he had no idea the location of, and was very much struggling to remain upright.

'Good one Matt. Very professional,' he thought sarcastically, absently realising that he must have gone a bit overboard with the Dutch Courage as his vision blurred once again.

Wobbling slightly to the corner of the room and ignoring the curious stares that followed him, Matt leant tiredly against the wall, wondering if he should just cut his losses and leave. He'd only been there for a couple of hours and he had already fucked things up with his client.

Groaning in annoyance, he failed to notice the approach of a certain mahogany haired boy, who immediately stopped directly in front of him.

"Hey! You alright?" Daisuke asked, brushing blond strands out of Matt's hazy eyes.

"Yea I'm fine. Just a little tired of acting that's all," Yamato replied, shrugging carelessly, attempting to sound as though it was of no real importance to him.

"Oh right. Well I'll meet you in the back room in half hour to give you your money," Daisuke replied, unable to say anymore as Tai approached through the throng of people, watching the two with wary eyes.

"Hey sorry if I offended you Yama," Tai said as he reached them, hand immediately moving to rub soothing circles on Matt's back.

Matt shrugged, suddenly feeling too ill to care. He tipped forward slightly, his head coming to rest gently on Tai's shoulder.

The dark skinned boy smiled lightly, feeling strands of silky blond hair brush against his neck and cheek.

"What's wrong with him?" Daisuke asked, eyebrows creasing as he surveyed Matt's slumped form.

"I think he's just had too much to drink. It's fine. I'll look after him," Tai replied dismissively, running his hand through the blond hair tenderly, unable to stop himself from chuckling as Matt mewed in appreciation.

"If your sure," Daisuke said uncertainly, giving the blond a small pat on the back before walking away into the crowd.

"You feeling alright?" Tai asked, stroking the blond hair gently.

"Ugh," Matt replied, giving a slight shake of the head that only made him feel sicker. He could now feel his stomach churning in protest and instantly remembered why he never usually drank excessively at work. One too many shots and he was completely draping himself over a client.

However he really didn't have the energy to move.

Besides Tai was warm and comfy. A little too warm and comfy.

"Hey don't fall asleep on me," Tai said, softly giving him a shake.

Realising that he probably should move before he lost his dignity completely, Matt pulled away, his head immediately spinning in response.

Grabbing his arm to stop him from falling, Tai guided Matt slowly to a chair, watching in amusement as he fell gracefully on top of it.

Feeling slightly better now he was seated, the blond gripped his hair painfully, attempting to gather his scattered thoughts. Aware that Tai had sat down next to him, he shifted uncomfortably, trying to put as much distance between them as possible, just in case he decided to collapse again. He'd rather fall face first onto the ground, than wrap himself around Tai again. He had a feeling he wouldn't be able to stop himself jumping the dark skinned boy if he had anymore more bodily contact with him. But Matt had to admit, he was grateful to the brunette for taking care of him.

"I'd pull your pants up if I were you. When your stood up everyone can see your ass," Tai said absently, eyes scanning the room with interest.

Scared that if he said anything he'd be sick everywhere, Matt settled for glaring. However Tai's attention was diverted elsewhere and he failed to notice the blond burning holes in the side of his head.

Growling in annoyance, Matt buried his head in his hands, choosing to ignore the brunette's presence completely. But seconds later, Tai's hand was on his shoulder, brushing the skin of his neck and then running down his back.

Matt looked up in surprise, but immediately frowned when he realised what the brunette was doing.

Ikato stood on the opposite side of the room, watching the blond and brunette with a sneer. Tai was staring right back, his hand caressing Matt's body as he did so, eyes alight with triumph as he watched Ikato glare with jealously.

Suddenly feeling a whole lot worse, Matt staggered to his feet, cursing himself for actually thinking that Tai was trying to help.

"Hey Yama! Where you going?" the brunette asked in surprise, dragging his eyes away from his ex-boyfriend.

"Just…don't feel well," Matt replied, cheeks flushed an adorable pink. His golden hair was damp with sweat, sticking to the base of his neck. Bright blue eyes now appeared blurred and hazy, giving Tai the distinct impression that Matt probably couldn't see straight.

But despite appearing quite haggard, the blond still looked gorgeous.

"Are you OK?" Tai asked in concern, resisting the urge to touch the blond again.

"What do you care? I'm going to the toilet. I'm sorry that you wont be able to parade me in front of Ikato anymore!" Matt snapped, inwardly cringing at the bitter tone of his voice. He knew wasn't handling the situation all that well, but he was beyond the point of caring. He'd been totally unorthodox all night, so there was no point in trying salvage his professionalism now.

Letting out a growl of anger, he turned on a heel and marched away for the second time that night, wondering why on earth he was managing Tai so badly.

The brunette however, merely stared at the retreating back, guilt washing over him as he watched Matt hike up his pants and disappear into the crowd.

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Clambering out of the toilet 10 minutes later, Matt was feeling slightly less ill and a lot more refreshed, although was still swaying slightly.

Remembering that Daisuke had said to meet him, the blond staggered towards what he assumed was the back room, vaguely wondering if half an hour had passed yet.

Stumbling slightly through the door, Matt found Daisuke waiting and realised that it had.

"Oh hey! You look a bit better! Tai been taking good care of you, huh?" Dai laughed, winking happily.

"Uh kind of," Matt replied, deciding it was probably the safest answer. He really didn't want to have to explain everything.

"Well anyway, here's your money. Good job tonight! You and Tai looked like a proper couple," Daisuke beamed, handing over the money and giving Matt a grin.

"Well that's my job," the blond replied, choosing not to mention that he hadn't exactly been professional. Getting drunk and collapsing over a customer didn't tend to be a good thing, but being around Tai had made him stupidly nervous. It wasn't his fault he wasn't used to attractive clients.

"Want a ride home?" Daisuke asked politely, waking Matt from his thoughts.

"No, I'm good. I've got money so I'll take the bus," he replied, nonetheless grateful for the offer.

"Well it's been a pleasure meeting you blondie!" Daisuke grinned, patting him on the ass playfully.

Matt couldn't help but smile back, biting his lip slightly as he looked up at the mahogany haired boy. He had to admit, Daisuke was infectious, despite being rather annoying. The vast amount of alcohol the blond had consumed must have affected him more than he realised, for suddenly Daisuke was looking incredibly appealing.

But that might have just been because Tai had seemed jealous when Ikato pointed out that Daisuke flirted with him, and Matt wanted payback.

'Fuck Tai and his fucking boyfriend,' Matt thought, leaning forwards to press his body against Daisuke's seductively.

Dai's grin immediately widened as he looped his arm around Matt's waist, hand squeezing his ass suggestively.

Throwing all remaining caution to the wind, the blond pressed his lips against Daisuke's desperately. Grinning against his mouth as the other responded, Matt ran his arms up and down Dai's chest, dimly registering that he was just as muscled as Tai appeared to be.

Matt's hands fumbled with Daisuke's shirt, his drunken haze making it incredibly difficult to undo the buttons. However seconds later he became successful, and the darker skinned boy stood topless in front of him. Matt instantly licked his lips and began to take full advantage of the now exposed skin.

Pale slender hands caressed the hard muscles, as soft pink lips nipped and sucked a path down the tanned chest.

"Oh shit! Fuck! You are fucking amazing!" Daisuke mumbled, hands running through Yamato's golden hair.

Matt raised his eyes to meet Dai's lustful gaze as he began to unbutton his pants, vaguely registering that having sex with a client was probably not a wise decision. After all he had spent the duration of the last few months telling every other client that he was by no means a prostitute, and yet here he was, kneeling in front of a customer, needy and willing like a common whore.

Drawing away in realisation, Matt licked his lips, attempting to calm his spinning head.

'Fucking Tai! Look what he's driven me to,' the blond thought, annoyed with himself for letting Tai's words effect him. So what if Tai didn't want him, because he didn't want Tai either.

Well OK, so that was a bit of a lie. But it wasn't his fault that Tai was attractive. Although compared to his usual clients, appearing to be good looking in comparison was not that difficult.

Shaking his head to banish Tai from his thoughts, Matt glanced up nervously, looking to see the other's reaction.

However Daisuke was merely looking at him in confusion, face flushed and breathing still slightly laboured.

Matt opened his mouth to say something (although he wasn't quite sure what) when suddenly the door banged open. Swivelling his head around to look at the intruder, Matt gulped nervously, cursing silently as the person froze in surprise.

"Uh…hi Tai!" Daisuke laughed uneasily, his voice strained.

Tai stared.

"What the hell?!" he growled.

To be continued…

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**A/N** That was it for Daisuke/Matt action. It wont feature in the story again, but I had to include it as it's important. But Taito is on it's way.

The next chapter I'll try to get more of Tai's feelings into the story, as his intentions aren't really clear in this chapter.

Thanks for the reviews for the first chapter, they really helped! Please review again!!


	3. A Hard Day's Night

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. I am BROKE.

Summary: Matt is an escort. An ESCORT! Not a hooker, as most people choose to believe. That is until he meets Taichi Yagami and his remaining morals seem to desert him. Taito! Rating for sexual scenes and language.

**Chapter 3 - A Hard Day's Night**

"What the hell?!"

Tai raised his eyebrows pointedly as no response came, feeling unreasonably angry at the two other men. The mere image of the blond kneeling in front of a half-naked Daisuke, hands clasped on his loosened belt, was making him green with envy. And also making him feel a little ill.

"What the fuck?! I thought he was your friend!" Tai spluttered, looking at the two in complete surprise, eyes scanning Matt's ruffled form with distaste.

"Well no, he's not _really_ my friend. Actually I only met him tonight," Daisuke explained, beginning to look as though he was highly uncomfortable with the whole situation. His was shifting distractedly, suddenly feeling very exposed under the brunette's angry glare.

Tai paused, looking between the other two with mounting bewilderment.

"What?!" he yelped, completely thrown by the confession. He shook his head in disbelief, beginning to feel more confused by the second.

"He's an escort Tai. I hired him for you to make Ikato jealous. You didn't think someone would just pose as your boyfriend for free, did you?" Daisuke asked, incredulous.

Tai winced as he realised it was an incredibly good point, his face growing gradually redder. He blinked, eyes flickering from Daisuke to Matt in surprise as he digested the information.

"You hired someone?! You hired a fucking hooker!" he exclaimed a moment later, waving his arm angrily in Matt's direction, who had instantly turned brick red.

"I am NOT a hooker!" Matt growled, eyes now glaring so fiercely, that it was a wonder they hadn't burnt a hole in Tai's head. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was people assuming he was a prostitute.

Tai however, merely laughed bitterly, looking over the scene before him with disgust.

"Not a hooker?! Ha! You sure look like one to me," he replied acidly, raising his eyebrows at Daisuke's half naked form.

Matt flinched, immediately silenced. He gulped, trying to swallow the lump forming in his throat as he flushed with shame.

"Tai!" Daisuke yelled angrily, noticing the wounded look that flashed across Matt's face.

"What?! I call it as I see it! And Ikato was definitely right about you too! You've been after Matt all night," Tai continued accusingly, looking at the mahogany haired boy with narrowed eyes.

Daisuke however, merely shrugged half-heartedly.

"Couldn't help it. He's gorgeous," he admitted, winking in Matt's direction and attempting to lighten the mood.

"Despite the fact that he's pretending to be my boyfriend!" Tai growled, obviously not at all amused by Daisuke's antics.

"Yes. Pretending! Your not _actually_ dating! I don't know why your getting so worked up!"

Tai was silent for a moment, quietly contemplating why he was he was taking Yamato's business so personally. He had only met the blond a few hours before, but had been immediately intrigued by his angelic appearance and feisty attitude. The phrase 'looks can be deceiving' couldn't be more correct when concerning the blond, and it had instantly interested him.

"Anyone could have seen you!" he finally burst out, frustration clearly evident in his tone of voice, despite his best efforts to contain it. He knew he sounded jealous, but he couldn't stop himself. As far as he was concerned, for the night at least, Matt was_ his_ boyfriend.

"Nobody saw us Tai," Daisuke insisted rationally, rolling his eyes

"I can't believe this. You even got all defensive when I implied you looked like a prostitute! And now look at you!" Tai cried at the blond, looking at him with an expression of deep disappointment.

That look alone made Matt feel worse than any amount of alcohol could. It was no wonder Tai found him repulsive; he even disgusted himself.

"I'm just going to go. I'm r-really sorry," he choked, trying to hold back the flood of tears that were threatening to spill down his cheeks. His stomach was churning, causing him to sway dangerously as he clambered to his feet, trying desperately to avoid the eyes of the other two men.

"Wait Matt, I'll take you!" Daisuke said, moving protectively to his side.

Tai scowl only deepened, critical eyes scanning the two with annoyance.

"Or even better, Tai can take you," the mahogany haired boy continued, ignoring the look of pure indignation that crossed Tai's face.

"It's fine. I said I'll get the bus," Matt replied, hurt once more by the horrified expression Tai had made by the mere thought of spending anymore time with him.

"Matt, I don't think your in any condition to go anywhere," Daisuke said gently, gesturing to his slightly swaying form.

"I'm fine," the blond replied. Although in truth he didn't think he could feel any worse.

He was biting his tongue to swallow his tears, trying to maintain what little composure he had left. His drinking session had well and truly come back to bite him in the ass, and Tai certainly wasn't improving matters. He just had to get away, before he broke down completely.

Trying desperately to avoid the brunette's critical gaze, Matt stalked dramatically towards the exit, ignoring Daisuke's concerned calls behind him…

* * *

"So…what do you want to do?" Matt asked tentatively, a couple of hours later. He shifted uncomfortably in his bar stool as a hand trailed slowly up his arm and cursed himself for asking such a suggestive question.

"Hmm, what do you think, beautiful?" the man replied, smirking slightly and looking him up and down in appreciation, while sipping delicately on his whiskey.

"Uh how about we go somewhere? As in the cinema!" the blond cried quickly with a nervous laugh, smile so strained he was beginning to feel an ache in his jaw. He was looking determinedly in the other direction, unwilling to make eye contact with his newest client, in fear the man would take the opportunity to kiss him.

However, as far as customers went, Matt had seen far worse. The man was perhaps mid-thirties, with fading coppery hair and cold grey eyes. He was looking at the blond with a calculating expression, but had not yet tried anything inappropriate, which Matt was becoming increasingly grateful for. He didn't think he'd be able to stomach any intimate contact with the client.

"I didn't pay to sit next to you in a cinema for hours, darling. Besides this bar is fine," the man said with faint amusement, moving impossibly closer to the swaying blond.

Matt could feel the man's smoky breath on his cheek and resisted the urge to recoil, the smell of tobacco shrouding his senses. The sickening smell was not helping his drunken condition, and instead was only serving to make him feel worse.

His head had still been spinning when he'd got off the bus, but had he figured that he may as well go out with the next client, having left the party quite early. However, with his vision blurring and a thirty-five year old man puffing his smelly breath in his face, Matt was beginning to regret his decision.

"Um I'm not feeling well at the moment," he said, trying to ignore the fact that Mr Smoky was tracing his face with his fingers, hand caressing his cheek. Matt resisted the urge to roll his eyes, angry that everyone always felt the need to touch him all the time. Even Tai had been very touchy-feely, although that had seemed to have been for Ikato's benefit.

"Don't worry baby. I can help you feel better," Mr Smoky drawled, lips nipping on Matt's pale neck.

"Um no, I'm good thanks. I'm actually starting to feel better," the blond replied quickly, attempting not to heave.

"Are you sure? You look a little pale. I could give you a massage. Anywhere you want?" Mr Smoky said suggestively, hands tracing small circles on Matt's back, ignoring the shudder of response.

Usually Matt was much better at handling similar customers, but his stomach was protesting loudly to the personal contact. The previous activities of the night had obviously shaken him more than he initially realised, as he was suddenly feeling very cheap and disgusted with himself. Not to mention disgusted by his client.

Suddenly having Tai use him to make Ikato jealous, didn't seem so bad.

"No I don't want a massage! I want my money! It's been a hour and I want to go home!" Matt cried, desperation so clear in his voice that he was even making himself cringe.

"Ok blondie. You don't have to get wound up! Here's your payment," Mr Smoky replied, eyebrows raised as he handed over the money.

"Great, thanks," the blond said hastily, jumping to his feet and swaying slightly with the sudden movement. A strong arm gripped his arm and Matt leant into it, his stomach churning and vision swimming. He obviously hadn't recovered quite as much as he thought he had, for the stench of smoke and alcohol in the bar was making him want to hurl.

"You know, I've got to say I'm surprised; I was told your always really professional, but it's so obvious your completely plastered. Just let me take you home," Mr Smoky ordered, not loosening his hold on Matt's wrist as he guided him towards the exit, other hand moving to rest on the small of his back.

"Um no, I'm good thanks," the blond replied forcefully, attempting to draw away from the man's grasp, but finding himself too weak to do so.

"I'm just taking you home."

Mr Smoky hooked an arm his waist and steadied him, hand dancing triumphantly along Matt's side. The blond frowned slightly but did not pull away, feeling too nauseous to put up any real resistance. He allowed himself to be dragged, blond head lolling as he moved, only dimly aware that he was now being led down a street.

"I think…I s-should…get myself home," Matt said blearily, tugging himself away from the groping hands weakly.

"I said I'll help you," Mr Smoky replied determinedly.

He pulled the blond into him forcefully, hand gripping a pale wrist to stop prevent any escape.

However, Matt merely collapsed into him, becoming dizzy with the sudden movement. His stomach lurched and he cringed, feeling bile rise in his throat.

The blond retched violently and clung unsteadily to Mr Smoky for support, before proceeding to be sick all over him…

* * *

Matt collapsed on the sidewalk, chest heaving. His stomach had begun to settle now that it was rid of the alcohol, but his head still span uncomfortably. He cringed at the mere thought of his client, who was probably now storming home with the contents of Matt's stomach all over him. As soon as the blond had been sick, Mr Smoky had pushed him away violently, cursing in annoyance. He had immediately left, not seeming to care that the blond was left sick and drunk in the middle of nowhere.

Matt could hardly blame him. His behaviour hadn't exactly been professional. In fact it had been completely appalling by anyone's standards.

Groaning at his own foolishness, the blond closed his eyes tightly, attempting to block out the unpleasant thoughts that were invading his mind. He wanted to do nothing but rest, and fully intended to do just that, despite the fact he was in the middle of a deserted sidewalk.

Swaying subconsciously from side to side, Matt swore he heard a distant voice calling his name, but merely blinked, body slumping to the side until he rested on something warm and hard. Feeling his eyes flutter closed once again in comfort, the blond was completely unprepared for the voice that vibrated next to his ear.

"Hey Matt? Are you OK?" Tai asked, hand coming to rest on Matt's forehead.

After jumping about three feet into the air, the blond swivelled towards the brunette, finding him crouched on the ground, pressed against him. Feeling completely foolish for not having noticed his presence, Matt gaped, unsure of what to say.

"I just saw what happened. Are you feeling better now?" Tai asked, staring at the blond in concern.

"Yea I'm fine. Much better now I was sick. My head is still spinning a bit though," Matt admitted, clambering to his feet to try and illustrate his good health. Tai nodded slightly in relief, glad that the blond was at least able to stand upright unattended.

"Not surprised," the brunette commented, watching Matt with a growing smile. He stood up next to him, face twisting as he tried to contain his amused expression.

"What?!" Matt yelped defensively, beginning to wonder why the brunette was smirking. He looked himself over, checking to see whether his pants had fallen down, or something equally embarrassing. However, he found nothing wrong, so just stared at the brunette in bewilderment.

"You being sick over that pervert was the funniest thing I've ever seen!" Tai laughed, clapping the blond playfully on the back, clearly not noticing that he was still unstable.

Matt staggered forward slightly and glared, only causing the brunette to laugh harder.

"You've been following me?!" Matt cried, levelling the brunette with a accusing glare.

"Only a little," Tai grinned, obviously still amused by the thought of the blond being sick all over his client. He was looking him with a new found respect, obviously now certain that the blond had somewhat recovered.

"Why?!" Matt asked, squinting at the brunette through the darkness.

"Because I felt bad for what I said about you, and you weren't looking too good when you left."

Matt raised his eyebrows, clearly not convinced by the explanation. Tai hadn't seemed at all sympathetic when the blond had left the party, despite the fact that he had been pale and staggering.

" ... And also because Dai made me," Tai admitted sheepishly after a pause, smile now far more nervous and bashful than it had been previously.

"Nice to know you care," Matt replied acidly, fully aware that he sounded angry and bitter. Hell, he was angry and bitter. But all his dignity had already been lost, so he saw no point in trying to hide it.

"Sorry, but I came to make it up to you."

"Fuck off!" Matt cried, wrapping the jacket around himself tightly and stalking off.

"Your still upset with me then?" Tai asked, sighing heavily and running his hand through his hair in aggravation.

"No shit Sherlock!" Matt yelled, long legs carrying him quickly down the road.

"Look, I'm sorry for basically calling you a whore. I was obviously wrong!"

"Yea you fucking well were. I don't jump in bed with just anybody."

"Who do you jump in bed with then?" Tai asked, quirking an eyebrow and surveying the blond, who was looking desperately in another direction, attempting to disguise his flaming cheeks.

"People I like! And _you_ are certainly not one of them!" Matt replied acidly, choosing to ignore the fact that it was a complete lie. Yes, the brunette was as annoying as hell, but he would have no problem at all with sleeping with him.

"So if I asked, you wouldn't sleep with me then?" Tai said, spinning the blond around mid-step and pressing him against a wall.

Matt gasped, air knocked out of his lungs with the strength of the impact. He shivered at the close contact, unease clawing at his stomach. His heart was thumping into his throat as Tai's hand caressed the soft skin of his hip, creeping up his shirt.

Ignoring the fluttery feelings that were spreading throughout his body, Matt growled in anger, pushing the bushy haired man away with renewed strength. How _dare _Tai try and take advantage of him when he was in a vulnerable state.

"Don't touch me! Your not a client anymore! You can't touch me like that!" Matt growled, hoping that the blush staining his cheeks could be mistaken for flaming anger. The last thing he needed was Tai knowing how much he effected him.

"So you let all clients touch you like that?!" the brunette asked, raising his eyebrows.

"It's my job! Why do you I was letting you practically feel me up at the party?"

"I thought you weren't a prostitute?"

"I'm not. I have never slept with a client!" Matt yelled in exasperation.

"And Daisuke?"

"I didn't sleep with him. And anyway, technically you were the client, not Daisuke!" the blond said sharply, growing more annoyed by the minute. He knew that hooking up with Dai was not the cleverest of decisions, and he didn't need the brunette to go on about it. He was already well aware that he had screwed up.

"Well how about I take you on a date to make up for it?" Tai suggested casually, completely throwing the blond with the turn around of conversation topics.

"A date? You don't even like me! An hour ago you were calling me a whore!"

"Look, I said sorry. After I followed you tonight it became obvious that your not as easy as I first thought, especially after the way you handled that client. I _may _have misjudged you when Dai announced you as an escort. I was just a bit surprised. Besides you kind of…intrigue me."

"I'm not going to sleep with you," Matt replied instantly, surveying Tai with narrowed eyes.

"God, you don't half jump to conclusions. I wouldn't want to sleep with you. Well ok, I would. But honestly no funny business! Just a date!" Tai insisted, holding in hands up in joke defence.

"I don't have time. Sorry. I need to work," Matt said stubbornly, the dramatic effect somewhat ruined as he almost staggered into a lamppost. However, to his immense relief, Tai choose not to comment, although he did still grin widely in amusement.

Matt merely glared, immediately sobering the brunette once more.

"Well how about I pay you then? That's basically what an escort does, right? Goes on dates for money?" Tai continued, surprising the blond greatly with his willingness to pay for his company. Did Tai not see what he had just done to his last client?

"I cost a lot," Matt said, in a last ditch attempt to persuade the brunette to leave him alone.

However the bushy haired boy merely grinned, eyes flashing over Matt's body in appreciation.

"I don't doubt it," he replied.

"Look, I don't feel very well, I just want to go home," the blonde replied tiredly, choosing to ignore Tai's suggestive comment. He was really feeling too drained to argue and knew that if the bushy-haired boy persisted, he would no longer have the energy to resist. As much as he hated to admit it, he was beginning to enjoy Tai's company.

"You can come to mine if you want. It's only a few minutes away," the brunette said hesitantly, awaiting Matt's angry refusal. But to his immense surprise, the blond merely looked at him inquisitively, swaying slightly as he walked. He had paled once more, eyes blinking blearily as he attempted to stay on the sidewalk.

"Your inviting me back to your apartment?" he asked, looking thoroughly thrown by Tai's offer.

"Yes. No. Well maybe," the brunette said, smiling sheepishly.

Matt blinked in surprise, silently wondering if the excessive amounts of alcohol had made him slightly delusional. He certainly hoped he wasn't imaging the offer, as small butterflies of excitement had already exploded in the pit of his stomach. Or maybe it was just all the drink making him feel ill again.

"No funny business?" Matt asked hesitantly, ignoring the sensible voice in his head that was screaming at him to just go home. He didn't know what it was about Tai, but the blond always found himself completely unnerved and excited by his mere presence. He just couldn't pass up the offer to stay with him for the night. After all he might never see him again, a thought that (to his immense annoyance) saddened him greatly.

"No funny business. Your going to have to mind my roommates though. They can be a little rowdy, especially with a gorgeous stranger such as yourself, coming to stay," Tai explained, grinning at the blushing blond.

"Oh OK," Matt replied, trying with great difficulty to stride instead of stagger down the road. Needless to say, by the look of pure amusement on Tai's face, he was failing miserably.

"Do you want help?" the brunette asked innocently, eyes alight with playful laughter.

"No," Matt answered sharply, despite the painful spinning of his head.

"Jesus, you are so hot and cold. You said you'd come back to my apartment, but refuse help getting there. Are you purposely trying to be confusing?"

"No! I just don't need help," Matt insisted stubbornly, silently wishing that he should get some kind of medal for his lie-telling abilities. Never in his entire life, had he spewed out so much crap in one night. He was actually beginning to think he was incapable of telling the truth without getting defensive, something that usually involved Tai getting his head bitten off.

"Why won't you just let me help you? Because I don't think walking in a zigzag is the normal thing to do," the brunette said sarcastically, ignoring the glare Matt had turned to shoot at him.

Unfortunately for the blond, he was so busy glaring that he didn't notice the bin he was rapidly approaching in front of him.

Throwing his arms up in surprise, Matt crashed straight into it, completely loosing his balance. He fell backwards as litter scattered over the road, before landing painfully on his ass. Letting out a howl of horror, he looked up Tai, who was trying desperately to disguise his amusement with a concerned expression.

"Fine! I need help!" Matt hissed from his place on the floor, glaring so fiercely he was practically squinting.

"Really?" Tai asked with fake surprise, eyes positively alight with glee. "Want a hand?"

"I think I need more than a hand," the blond mumbled in reply.

"No denying that," the brunette said happily, encircling a hand around Matt's waist.

Gripping tightly on slender hips, Tai immediately heaved the shrieking blond into his arms, ignoring the hands that were clinging painfully to his collar.

"I said a hand. I'm not an invalid!"

"You right about that. I'm sure invalids can walk better than you can at the moment," the brunette replied coolly, walking slowly towards his apartment. Although the blond was incredibly light, Tai feared that if he went any faster, Matt's stomach would begin to protest. And if possible, having the blond be sick over him, was something he'd rather avoid.

"Well you wanted to help me, and now you are. Happy now?!" Matt asked bitterly, clutching Tai's shirt tightly in fear of falling, although that was something he would never admit.

"Yep. Very much so," the brunette grinned, carrying the blond happily back to his apartment…

To be continued…

* * *

**A/N** Ok so not much of a cliff-hanger, but still.

Man this chapter really was a bitch to write. I kept writing different bits separately in random orders, so it took me ages to link everything properly, which is probably why things don't quite add up quite as well as I would have liked. I was trying desperately to improve this, but ended up giving up. I apologise for my laziness.

Ok rant over. Thanks to everyone whose reviewed so far, I really appreciate it. I'm also going to start replying to reviews, so review:)


	4. Three's a Crowd, Four's a Fiasco

**Disclaimer:** Nothing belongs to me. I am BROKE.

**Summary:** Matt is an escort. An ESCORT! Not a hooker, as most people choose to believe. That is until he meets Taichi Yagami and his remaining morals seem to desert him. Taito! Rating for sexual scenes and language.

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Three's a Crowd, Four's a Fiasco**

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure, yes."

"You said it was only a few minutes away."

"It is, walking at normal pace. However, carrying a fully grown man - who will not stop squirming I might add - tends to slow a person down," Tai said mildly, shifting his grip as he felt the blond slip slightly from his grasp.

"Well, _sorry_. I just wont move at all then," Matt replied, somewhat insulted that Tai thought carrying him was such tiring work. He wasn't _that _heavy.

Unclasping himself from around the brunette's neck, Matt relaxed all his muscles until he was nothing more than a dead weight in Tai's arms, completely limp and floppy.

"Jeez Matt! You've got to hold on!" Tai yelped, staggering in surprise.

"So you prefer me squirming then?" the blond asked, big blue eyes blinking innocently up at the brunette's scowling face.

"Yes," Tai replied reluctantly, attempting to contain a smile as he felt Matt curl up against him once more. Pale hands had slid back around his neck, gripping his bushy hair tightly, apparently oblivious to his strangled cry of pain. The blond merely smiled angelically in response, evidently choosing to ignore the pointed glare he was receiving as he buried his golden head into the brunette's tanned neck.

"Are we there yet?"

"No!"

Sighing in annoyance, Matt closed his eyes tiredly, trying with mounting desperation to ignore the objections of his stomach, which was still tender and uncomfortable. Although snuggling up to Tai was quite pleasant, he wanted nothing more than to collapse on a comfy bed and sleep to heart's content. The mere thought alone, was making him increasingly impatient.

"Are we there yet?"

Tai shook his head in disbelief, but to Matt's immense surprise, answered positively. "Yes, we are."

The blond squeaked in surprise, head shooting up to survey the apartment before him with bleary eyes.

Although they were already walking down the corridor on the ground floor, Matt could tell the building was quite similar to the one Daisuke had led him to for the party, only a few hours before. However it was noticeably cleaner, with absolutely no drunken teenagers in sight, excluding the blond himself.

Drawing to a stop, Tai gently pushed open his apartment door, attempting to make as little noise as possible as he clambered over the threshold. He couldn't risk waking his roommates, as he had a feeling Matt was not in the best condition to deal with them. They were hard enough to handle in a normal situation.

Carrying the blond steadily into the lounge, Tai raised a finger to his lips, smiling slightly as Matt nodded in understanding.

"I'm going to get you some change of clothes," the brunette whispered, lowering the blond onto his couch and tilting his head slightly, indicating towards a bedroom.

Matt smiled in thanks, eyes revolving around the room, quietly taking in his new surroundings. Grinning as he watched Tai tip-toe into what the blond assumed was his bedroom, he led back on the cushions, head spinning as he contemplated the events of the night. A lot had certainly happened since he had been kidnapped by Daisuke on the edge of a road.

Feeling his eyes flutter closed, Matt sighed contently, allowing sleep to gradually wash over him. After hours of longing, he was warm and comfy at last, finally able to slip into blissful unconsciousness.

"BOO!"

Screaming in shock, Matt shot upwards, head colliding painfully with the person who was hovering curiously over him.

"What the hell!" he yelped, squinting desperately through the darkness, hand rubbing his aching forehead tiredly.

A man of around 18 years old was stood inquisitively in front of him, hands on hips and dark head cocked in surprise. His deep blue hair was almost shoulder length, long fringe obscuring one eye.

"Wait, your not Tai!" the man exclaimed, looking Matt up and down, as though checking it was not just the brunette in an elaborate disguise.

"No! You don't say," the blond replied sarcastically, glaring pointedly at the stranger, attempting to calm his racing heart.

However Matt's glower remained unnoticed, as the man's face screwed up in confusion, eyebrows creased in deep thought.

"What's going on? I heard screaming!"

Swivelling around, both Matt and the blue-haired boy looked towards Tai, who had just re-entered the room with a bundle of clothes tucked securely under his arm.

"Well?" the brunette prodded. "I heard screaming."

Matt flushed, not wanting to admit that he was the one who had screeched.

However, the blue-haired boy - apparently oblivious to Matt's embarrassment - decided to announce it anyway. He stuck a finger in the Matt's direction, innocence evident on his features. "It was him."

The blond glared.

"Why? Hiro, what did you do to him?" Tai asked suspiciously, flicking on the light switch, despite the two grumbles of complaint.

"Blind us, why don't you!" Hiro yelped, clapping his hand over his eyes.

"Hiro! Stop avoiding the question!" Tai persisted, surveying his roommate with increasingly narrowed eyes.

"I may have surprised him slightly," the blue-haired boy admitted, ignoring Matt's snort of indignation. "I thought he was you."

"Yea because me and Matt look so much alike…. Well anyway, Hiro this is Yamato, Yamato this is Hiro, one of my roommates," Tai announced, dropping the clothes down onto the couch.

Matt nodded, shifting uncomfortably as Hiro stared at him critically, lips curling into an inviting smile.

"Nice to meet you Blondie…. Will you do me the honour of going out with me?"

Matt blinked.

"Err -"

"For god's sake Hiro! Give it a rest, will you?!" a new voice announced from a bedroom doorway, causing Tai, Matt and Hiro to all spin around in surprise.

A petite girl with bright pink hair was lent tiredly against the doorframe, eyebrows raised in obvious irritation.

"Sorry Mimi, did we wake you?" Tai asked in concern, recoiling slightly as she scowled in response.

"Of course you woke me. I could hear you all squealing from under my pillow. But I guess that's what I get for living with two gay guys," Mimi complained, moving into the room and collapsing onto the couch, arms and legs crossed in aggravation. She was glaring at the men with narrowed eyes, apparently not having realised that Matt was only a visitor.

"Let me guess, your missing out on your beauty sleep?" Hiro asked innocently, chuckling with satisfaction as Mimi blushed the same colour as her hair.

"Mimi, this is Matt. Matt, this is Mimi," Tai introduced, cutting off Mimi's chance of a retort, hoping to quickly end the argument.

Matt smiled, silently admiring the girl's feistiness as she grinned back at him, all annoyance vanishing from her expression.

However before they had chance to exchange pleasant greetings, Hiro interrupted loudly.

"Wow, you look even better when you smile!" the blue-haired boy beamed, eyes glued to Matt's blushing features. Winking cheekily at the blond, he turned his attention back towards his brunette roommate, clapping him playfully on the back . "Blondie really is gorgeous Chi! What the hell is he doing with you?"

"That's it! Matt and I are going to bed! And I told you not to call me 'Chi'!" Tai sniped, collecting the discarded clothes off the couch once more, fighting the urge to flick Hiro with them.

"Going to bed?! And what do you plan on doing in bed, you two?" the blue-haired boy laughed, ignoring the dangerous look of warning Mimi sent him.

"I'm going to sleep on the floor, jackass!" Tai replied acidly, grabbing Matt by the hand and tugging him gently towards his bedroom. To his immense surprise the blond followed obediently, apparently eager to leave the company of his blue-haired roommate, who had begun to waggle his eyebrows suggestively.

"I'm sorry about them," the brunette whispered, with what he hoped was an encouraging smile.

"It's fine. They seem nice. Although Hiro seems a little too nice."

Tai laughed. "Yea, just ignore him. He's hormone driven."

The blond smiled, chewing his sleeve nervously as Tai led him into his bedroom and shut the door quietly behind him.

"You know, you don't have to sleep on the floor. It's your apartment. I can just go home," Matt muttered, shifting anxiously from foot to foot. He was silently praying that the brunette would not take him up on his offer, as he really didn't want to walk home in the dark. Knowing his luck, he'd probably get attacked.

"No, it's fine. There are no buses this late, which is why I offered you a place to crash," Tai replied, opening his wardrobe to search for blankets.

Rolling his eyes slightly as the brunette shuffled noisily through his belongings, Matt took the opportunity to glance around the room, taking in the dark blue walls and bright red bedding. Various objects were strewn carelessly across the floor, including a football and a toy dinosaur, but otherwise it was not too messy.

Finally noticing Matt's gaze, Tai blushed, pulling numerous blankets out of the wardrobe forcefully. "Ignore the mess."

"It's a nice room," the blond replied, unsure of what else to say. After all, he had only met the brunette about six hours before and didn't really know anything about him. The less than orthodox introduction they had received from Daisuke had skipped the small talk entirely, as they had to immediately act as a couple. asking your supposed boyfriend when his birthday was or what his hobbies were, would have seemed suspicious.

Fortunately the awkward silence was suddenly broken, as Hiro charged noisily into the room, almost banging the door off it's hinges.

"Hey!" he cried, surveying the blond and brunette with a cocky grin.

Tai rolled his eyes. "What do you want?"

"Just come to say goodnight. Or good morning depending on how you look at it," the blue-haired boy announced happily, gaze lingering on the pile of blankets that Tai had placed on the carpet in confusion. "Your not actually going to sleep on the floor, are you? God, I thought you were joking."

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes I am," the brunette replied, crossing his arms in annoyance.

"No your not," Hiro said firmly, as Tai raised his eyebrows.

"Yes I am."

"No your not!"

"_Yes _I am!"

"_No, _your not!" Hiro cried, leaping forward and ceasing the blankets from the floor. He span around quickly and fled the room, covers bundled messily under his arm.

Tai cursed, casting the blond a apologetic smile before sprinting out of the bedroom in pursuit, almost crashing into a startled Mimi as he hurtled into the lounge.

"What's going on?" she yelped, watching in confusion as Hiro wrestled open the window, Tai diving forward to stop him.

"Hiro kidnapped the blankets," Matt explained, appearing in the doorway with an eyebrow raised.

Mimi gave a small "oh" of understanding before turning back to the window, where Tai had begun to wrench the blankets from Hiro's arms, accidentally initiating a small battle of tug-of-war. Both men struggled for several moments, until with a cheer of victory, the blue-haired boy finally ripped the blankets out of the brunette's grasp. He grinned broadly before proceeding to fling the covers out of the open window, despite Tai's best efforts to stop him.

"Bye, bye, blankets!" Hiro squealed , waving happily as the blankets vanished into the darkness, whipped away by the wind.

Mimi and Tai growled in exasperation, eyes raised to the heavens. "HIRO!" they screeched simultaneously.

"Well will you look at that! All the blankets are gone. It looks like your going to have to sleep in your own bed Tai, which means Blondie can sleep with me!" the blue-haired boy beamed, despite Matt's small choke of disbelief.

"I think I'll just sleep in with Tai," the blond said hastily, throwing Hiro a frightened look.

"Fine with me!" Tai agreed.

He grabbed Matt violently by the wrist and tugged him forwards, ignoring the soft squeak of surprise. Flinging Hiro a dirty look, the brunette turned on a heel and frogmarched the blond into his bedroom once more, the door swinging shut behind them.

Cringing slightly at the resounding bang, Mimi instantly rounded on her remaining roommate, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"I cannot believe you just did that! You threw all our blankets away!" she cried, jabbing him accusingly on the chest with a pointy finger.

Hiro shrugged and grinned. "Tai gets to sleep with Matt; he'll be thanking me in the morning!"

* * *

"Do you always move around like this?" Matt said into the darkness, feeling the brunette shift once more.

"No. Actually I usually just crash," Tai replied, turning onto his side to survey the blond, noticing with a faint smile that his golden hair was still visible in the dark. It was so blond is practically radiated light. "Sorry if I'm keeping you awake."

"Don't worry. It's practically morning now anyway."

"Yea, we did get back really late," the brunette agreed, listening to the soft sounds of Matt breathing only a few inches away.

"By the way, I'm sorry about everything tonight. I'm not usually like that," the blond said quietly, flushing with shame. After the commotion with Daisuke and Mr Smoky, he hated to think what Tai thought of him. He hadn't exactly made the best first impression.

Matt rolled his eyes at the thought, pleased that he had obviously managed to maintain such an air of dignity in front of his newly found crush…. Not.

"Are you feeling OK now?" Tai asked, rousing the blond from his thoughts, moving a hand forward to press against Matt's forehead.

"Better now I'm led down."

The brunette nodded in response, reluctant to remove his hand from Matt's glowing face. Despite his forehead being slightly sweaty, the blond was still smooth and warm under his touch, which immediately made Tai wonder if all of Matt's body felt the same way. He sincerely hoped that one day, he would find out.

"So, what do you want to do for our date?" Tai asked brightly, now too roused by the thought of the naked blond to go to sleep.

Matt however, didn't seem to feel the same way. He tilted his golden head and yawned, blinking tiredly at his companion. "Our date?"

"Yep. I said I'd pay, remember? Like a customer."

"Oh. Well I don't mind what we do. That's for the client to decide," Matt replied, attempting to survey the brunette through the darkness.

"Okie dokie. And I'll actually be able to touch you again, right? Without my head being bitten off?" Tai asked playfully, earning a small chuckle from the blond.

"Yea sorry about that. I wasn't feeling very well and you weren't helping," Matt said slowly, giving the brunette a light-hearted nudge.

Tai grinned, shifting closer to the suspicious blond, who was watching nervously out the corner of his eye. The brunette placed his hand softly on Matt's shoulder, ignoring the slight flinch he received in response. He caressed a dainty collar bone, tracing a gentle finger down Matt's slender chest, past his bellybutton.

"What are you - ahh!"

The blond recoiled in surprise, squawking as he did so, rolling straight off the bed to escape Tai's wondering hands. He landed on the floor with an almighty thump, causing the brunette to peer over in concern. But despite his better judgement, Tai couldn't help but laugh.

Matt was sprawled on the floor, looking up at him with a vicious scowl. He was rubbing his ass in pain, flicking his hair haughtily at the grinning brunette.

"Hey! I'm still ill! Your supposed to be helping me recover!"

Tai laughed. "Wow, you are so easy to wind up!" he grinned, ignoring the furious glare that had adorned Matt's pale face. "And you know, for an escort, you aren't half frigid!"

The blond immediately sprang to his feet in indignation, cheeks flaming in embarrassment. "No, I'm not!"

Tai paused, before grinning wickedly.

"Well we'll see on our date tomorrow," he replied, winking sexily.

"Tomorrow?" Matt squeaked.

"Yes, tomorrow."

**To be continued…**

* * *

**A/N** Sorry this took a little longer than expected. I've been a bit preoccupied by things like Harry Potter and job hunting (which was a complete fiasco). Also for homework I've chosen to do an essay about the Open Range, instead of the Mormons, because I don't know anything about them. But turns out I don't know anything about the Open Range either, so it's taking me ages to write, and I haven't had time to update.

But anyway, enough about my coursework problems. I'll definitely try to update quicker next time.

Thanks for all the great reviews! Please continue! I like suggestions and constructive criticism!


	5. Let the Games Begin

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. I am BROKE.

Summary: Matt is an escort. An ESCORT! Not a hooker, as most people choose to believe. That is until he meets Taichi Yagami and his remaining morals seem to desert him. Taito! Rating for sexual scenes and language.

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Let the Games Begin**

"Wow Matt! You look like crap!"

Matt glanced up in surprise, resisting the urge to groan when he realised who had spoken.

A short red-headed girl stood expectantly in front of him, hands placed critically on her hips. She was surveying the blond with a suspicious gaze, eyes revolving over his messy hair and crinkled clothes.

"Long night," the blond explained, taking a long slip of coffee and attempting to appear somewhat together. If Sora found out how truly haggard he was, he would never hear the end of it.

"Long night?" The redhead frowned, eyebrows raising. "And what exactly were you doing last night that has you so tired out?"

Matt rolled his eyes. "Not what you think. I was just with a client, that's all."

"A client? You had a long night with a client?"

"It wasn't like that," the blond insisted, mind flashing over the events of the previous night. OK, so he _had_ slept in Tai's bed, but nothing remotely intimate had happened, as much as he wished it had done. "You know me better than that. I don't sleep with clients!"

Sora sighed, collapsing into the seat next to him. "That's what I thought too. But I went to your apartment earlier this morning and you weren't there!"

"Oh." Matt blushed, shifting uncomfortably under the redhead's judgemental gaze. "Yea, I stayed with the client. But nothing happened! It was just a nightcap!"

"Since when did you except nightcaps from customers?!"

"Since last night, OK? It's not a big deal!" Matt hissed, pulling his jacket hood further over his head, shielding himself from the morning light.

Sora crossed her arms, but looked blankly out the café window that they were sat in, clearly lost in thought. She sighed slightly before she spoke, unable to meet Matt's eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to nag, but you know how much I worry about you being an escort! There are some real bastards out there!"

The blond smiled softly, touched by her words. "Thanks for caring, but I'm fine. You know how much I need this job!"

"Yea I know." Sora nodded in understanding, before her expression changed from sombre to playful, eyes twinkling in mischief. "So who was your client then? Male or female?"

"Male," Matt replied, feeling his mood lift with the mere mention of Taichi. "He was young too."

Sora laughed. "No wonder you agreed to a nightcap."

"Yea, I just left actually."

"You like him?"

Matt blinked, taken aback by the bluntness of her question. He paused before replying, mind mulling over the night's events. "I think I'm started to. He's definitely good-looking."

"Are you going to see him again?"

"Yea," Matt replied, blushing crimson. "Tonight."

"Tonight?!"

"Yea. He's hiring me again," the blond explained, gulping back his coffee, trying to ignore the dull pounding of his head.

"Wow, he sounds eager!" Sora cried, smiling encouragingly.

Matt shrugged half-heartedly, fighting back a yawn. "I hope so."

Leaning forward and placing his head on the table, the blond sighed contently, silently wishing he could just go to sleep. After the previous night he was hung-over and tired, but knew that he still had lessons to attend. The last thing he needed was Tai affecting his schoolwork too.

"Matt, are you sure your OK?" Sora asked suspiciously, surveying the blond with raised eyebrows. "Do you have a _hangover_?"

Matt groaned, not daring to lift his head. "Nope. Just tired."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Pretty sure," Matt lied.

"Uh-huh," Sora replied doubtfully, leaning closer to the unsuspecting blond, whose head was still leant tiredly on the table. "So you don't have a headache then?"

"Um… no."

"Oh so you don't mind if I SHOUT!"

Matt jumped, head snapping upwards in surprise.

"Ah!" he cried, clapping his hands over his ears in pain. He glared viciously, head pounding in protest.

"So you do have a hangover?!" Sora said sweetly, clicking her fingers. "I knew it!"

Matt rolled his eyes. "Yea yea. Save the lecture. I was just feeling a bit nervous, that's all."

"More than a bit by the look of you," the redhead replied critically, waving a dismal hand in Matt's direction.

"Yes, I know I look terrible. There's no need to point it out."

"You said it, not me."

"Well I'm going to class!" Matt said loudly, choosing to end the conversation before he was insulted further. He felt crappy enough as it was.

Jumping to his feet and ignoring the intense throbbing of his head, Matt gave Sora a small wave of goodbye and hobbled quickly out the café. Hoping that the redhead would not attempt to catch him up, the blond shielded his eyes from the light, wondering in the vague direction of the university, knowing that he really did need to get to class.

But unfortunately, enduring tiring lectures on Quantum Physics was the last thing on his mind.

All he could think about the for entire day was Tai.

Even as he walked home after his classes, the blond was still daydreaming about the brunette. He was replaying the previous night over and over again in his head, attempting to analyse the small touches that Taichi had given him.

He was actually so immersed in his fantasies, that he failed to notice a certain young man waiting patiently outside his apartment.

"Matt?" Tai grinned, startling the blond out of his reverie.

Blinking rapidly in an attempt to disguise his surprise, Matt shifted nervously, instantly feeling a blush stain his cheeks. "Hey Tai. I didn't see you there!"

"Looked like it. You were on another planet. Thinking about anything special?"

_Yes. _"Nope, not at all."

"Well you gave me your address this morning, so I thought I'd come round and see if your ready for our date," Tai explained, grinning happily.

Matt raised his eyebrows. "Date?"

The brunette flushed, shifting from foot to foot. "You know what I mean."

"Hmm," Matt mumbled, ignoring the pounding of his heart at the word 'date'. "It's not really a date when your paying me, is it?"

"No," Tai replied, sounding somewhat disappointed. He quickly changed the subject. "So how are you feeling?"

"Like crap." Matt realised there was no point in lying, as he knew full well he looked like complete shit. And he was pretty sure Tai could see that too.

"Yea, you don't look quite as lively as you did last night," the brunette confirmed, causing the blond to cringe. Tai could have at least given him time to recover and get ready before he decided to turn up on his doorstep. He wasn't looking quite as glamorous as he hoped he would.

"I'll get changed and then we'll go, yea?"

The brunette nodded, watching Matt unlock his apartment door and give him a small wave of invitation.

Following the blond inside, Tai assessed the small flat, eyes flicking over the cosy living room and compact kitchen. It was fairly organised, with only a few magazines scattered over the floor, but quite dingy and dark.

"Nice place."

Matt laughed. "No it's not, but thanks for lying." Giving the brunette a small smile, he walked towards his bedroom, glancing back for a quick moment. "Just a sec, I'm going to get changed."

Tai nodded, despite the fact that the blond had already turned back around, heading into his bedroom.

Feeling curiosity bubble up inside his chest, the brunette tiptoed forwards, hesitating as he approached Matt's slightly open bedroom door. Feeling his heart hammer into his throat, Tai peaked into the room, watching with uncharacteristic hunger as Matt slowly began removing his slinky black shirt.

Despite knowing that what he was doing was wrong, and probably illegal, the brunette couldn't help but stare at the smooth pale skin that was revealed to him.

He'd only known Matt a day, and he was already spying on him. The blond didn't even no him well enough to know he wasn't actually a psychopath. If he was caught, Matt would surely through him straight out.

However, just watching the blond peel off his pants, caused Tai to loose all logical train of thought. Not that he had much to begin with.

The brunette shifted uncomfortably, attempting to contain the urge to jump Matt then and there. He really didn't want to get arrested for assault.

Cursing himself silently, he staggered backwards, dragging his eyes reluctantly away from the pretty blond. He focused his gaze on the kitchen sink, determinedly trying to ignore the small sounds coming from Matt's bedroom that his eyes were desperate to identify.

"So where do you want to go?" came Matt's voice from inside the bedroom.

"Don't care," replied the brunette, not having given much thought about what to actually do on the date. He still couldn't believe that Matt had actually agreed.

"You're the client; you're supposed to tell me!"

"If I had my way we wouldn't go anywhere at all," Tai said suggestively, half-joking and half-serious. He certainly wouldn't mind curling up with the blond to watch a movie, or even moving straight into the bedroom. However, he was doubtful that Matt would agree. After all the blond had previously insisted that he would never sleep with a client, to the everlasting disappointment of the brunette.

Grumbling in annoyance, Tai folded his arms, suddenly feeling a lot more pessimistic about the date. He glanced back towards the bedroom, waiting less anxiously now for the blond to immerge.

As if on cue, Matt entered the kitchen, looking sexy and refreshed in a new pair of jeans and a slinky shirt. He threw Tai a subtle smile, blush reddening his cheeks.

"Stay here?" he repeated, shuffling his feet uncertainly. It certainly wouldn't be incredibly professional for Tai to stay in his apartment, but then again, the brunette was already there. What would be the harm in letting him stay? "Yea, we can stay here if you want. You're the customer."

"Really?!" Tai asked, sounding surprised. He hadn't expected the blond to agree. "Yea, let's stay here then!"

Matt smiled at the eagerness in the brunette's voice, pleased that he was so enthusiastic.

"What do you want to do then?" he asked, waving a hand towards his lounge.

Tai took his actions as an invitation and collapsed on the couch, looking up at the blond expectantly. "I dunno. Your supposed to entertain me, so entertain!"

Matt raised his eyebrows, but nodded, moving towards the TV. "Let's watch a film!"

"Yea, a romance!" Tai grinned, eyes twinkling as he surveyed the doubtful blond.

"A romance?"

"Yea," the brunette confirmed, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "How about Pretty Woman?!"

Matt blanched, staring at Tai in horror. "A chick-flick?"

"Yep!"

"No way!"

"I'm the customer and I say Pretty Woman!" Tai said gleefully, ignoring the glare the blond was directing his way.

"Why Pretty Woman?!" Matt asked, crossing his arms and surveying the client with annoyance.

Tai shrugged innocently, a small smile creeping onto his face. "No reason."

"It's because it's about a prostitute, isn't it?" the blond growled, a statement more than a question.

"Maybe," Tai grinned. "See any similarities?"

Matt glared stubbornly, holding his head up high. "No I don't actually. I'm an _escort_, NOT A PROSTITUTE!"

Tai blinked, taken back by the sudden burst of anger.

The blond was panting slightly, trying to regain his composure, face flushed and eyes flashing.

The brunette raised his eyebrows expectantly, realising that he'd managed to hit a major nerve. Matt wasn't half touchy when it came to talking about hookers. There was obviously a fine line between the escort profession and the prostitute one, and Tai was unsure of what it was.

"Ok, not a prostitute. Noted," the brunette confirmed, giving the blond a nervous thumps up and a sheepish smile.

"Thank you," Matt replied, having somewhat calmed down. "Do you actually want to watch Pretty Woman, or were you just saying it to wind me up?"

"I want to watch it," Tai grinned, "it's been a while since I've had a good laugh!"

Matt smiled, shaking his head in amusement. "Fine. You're the client. Pretty Woman it is."

After the blond had inserted the DVD, he sat down hesitantly next to the brunette, watching him suspiciously out the corner of his eye. The mischievous smile on Tai's face had made Matt unreasonably nervous, so much so that he wanted to do nothing more than to retreat to the other side of the room.

However reluctantly realising that he had suffered much creepier clients than the brunette, Matt decided to suck it up and be professional, despite the butterflies that were exploding in his stomach.

He relaxed slightly and began to watch the film, with little interruption from the brunette.

It was a total of at least half an hour before Tai finally decided to make his move, inching slowly closer to the blond. He wrapped an arm around Matt's shoulders, tugging him so close that he could smell the subtle scent of his golden hair. Grinning in triumph, the brunette ran his fingers up and down Matt's side, enjoying the fact that the blond couldn't do anything to stop him. If he did, then he wouldn't get paid.

"So…" Tai began, attempting to start a conversation and distract the blond from their close proximity. Matt had suddenly become unbelievably rigid, shoulders hunched with tension. "In the film the hooker wont kiss her customers because it's too personal, yea?"

Matt blinked, mind completely focused on the movements of the brunette's hand, rather on what he was saying. "What?!"

"The hooker! In the film! She wont kiss her clients because it's too personal right?" Tai asked, nodding his head towards the screen.

"Yea…" Matt replied, wondering where the brunette was going with his questioning.

"Is that the same with you?"

The blond blushed, tensing even more than he was already. "No. I do kiss customers, although it's never personal. But sometimes it's necessary, like when I'm posing as someone's boyfriend."

"You didn't kiss me," Tai pointed out, attempting to calm Matt with subtle caresses, realising that he was not going to get a honest answer when the blond was edgy and uncomfortable. When Matt was truly relaxed in his presence, he would be a lot more open in his answers.

"You didn't ask me to," the blond replied, closing his eyes briefly in pleasure as Tai soothed the tension out of his back.

Tai leaned closer, continuing his soft touches to stop Matt from recoiling quickly. "I'm asking you now."

Matt blinked suddenly, startled out of his reverie.

However before he could form any kind of response (not that he would have been able to), soft lips pressed quickly against his own.

His gasped quietly, but responded, silently reminding himself that Tai was a client.

The kiss quickly turned more passionate as the brunette prodded his lips open with his tongue, instantly sweeping into his mouth. Suppressing the urge to moan, Matt buried his hands into Tai's dark hair, feeling tanned hands stroke gently at the small of his back. He pressed himself closer, all thoughts of professionalism flying out the window.

However, eventually realising that they had to come up for air, Tai pulled back, happily noting that Matt's soft lips were red and swollen. The blond blinked back at him blankly, eyes reopening and face flushed darker than Tai had ever seen.

The hazy fog of pleasure slowly vanished and Matt mentally groaned, inwardly kicking himself.

That had been _way _too personal.

**To be continued…**

* * *

**A/N **Wow cheesy chapter for you! But sorry about the wait. I started working on some plot bunnies (check my profile and let me know what you think!) and my other fics, but never finished anything. I've also been on holiday and thought I could update before I went, but I didn't get round to it.

I'll probably be finishing Playing Dirty before I update this again, and completing some of my plot-bunnies, so I don't know how long the next update will be. However I'll update my profile or livejournal regularly to say how things are progressing.

But thanks for all the great reviews! Review more :)


	6. The Search For Something More

**Disclaimer:** Nothing belongs to me. I am BROKE.

**Summary:** Matt is an escort. An ESCORT! Not a hooker, as most people choose to believe. That is until he meets Taichi Yagami and his remaining morals seem to desert him. Taito!

Rating for sexual scenes and language.

* * *

**Chapter 6 - The Search for Something More**

"Ah! Get off me you pervert!" Matt cried, laughing loudly as Tai grabbed him round the waist and squeezed tightly.

"Pervert?!" Tai exclaimed in mock horror, eyebrow raised inquisitively. "I bet I'm nothing compared to some of the clients you get!"

"True, true," Matt admitted, attempting to wriggle away from the brunette's firm grasp with little success.

Pouting in defeat, the blond finally went limp, suddenly realising with a jolt of surprise that Tai's face was right in front of his own. Blushing softly, he opened his mouth to say something, anything to distract himself from the brunette's close proximity. This action however, only succeeded in encouraging Tai more.

Grabbing the opportunity, the brunette leant forward, catching Matt's opened lips in a small caste kiss.

Blinking in surprise, the blond tried to contain his smile, fixing Tai with a angry glare. "Keep doing that and I'll scream rape, you pervert!"

The brunette laughed, stroking Matt's golden head with growing affection. "That would just be mean!"

"Don't care," Matt mumbled in reply, waiting for Tai's next move with anticipation. He certainly did not want to be caught off guard again. Although they had only known each other a for a short amount of time, the brunette always seemed to have a funny way of surprising him.

It had been a week since Matt and Tai's first 'date' and Tai had continued to pay for Matt's company every night. So far they had been to the cinema, hung out at the brunette's apartment and even went out to a restaurant.

Both enjoyed the time spent together, although neither would admit their growing feelings for the other, even to themselves.

Matt was firmly in denial, constantly telling himself that he was only going out with Tai purely for the money, despite the fact that he always seemed to wait in anticipation for their next 'date'. On some level he knew that his unspoken arrangement with the brunette would soon have to end, as he couldn't avoid his other clients forever.

Ever since he had started going out with Tai on a regular basis, he had started to neglect his other customers. As long as the brunette was paying for his company, he found it a suitable excuse to ignore all other clients, because after all, money was money. However if he carried on the way he was going, he wouldn't have any regulars left, and there was no way Tai could afford to pay for him forever.

Brought out of his sombre thoughts as Tai stroked his cheek softly, Matt looked up, meeting the brunette's concerned eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Tai asked, evidently having noticed the unhappy look the blond had gained.

Shaking his head slightly and licking his lips self-consciously, Matt smiled forcefully, attempting to forget the fact he would soon have to go back to his regular clients. "I'm fine. Just thinking."

Tai grinned, apparently satisfied with Matt's excuse. "About me?"

The blond rolled his eyes, amused by the brunette's self-absorbed attitude.

"Yes Tai. I was thinking about you. All I ever think about is you," Matt cried dramatically, smirking softly.

Tai raised his eyebrows, a small smile gracing his lips. "I hope that wasn't sarcasm I hear."

"Nope. Of course not."

"Oh good," Tai said huskily, leaning down until he was breathing in Matt's ear, "because that's not very nice."

Shuddering slightly at the contact, Matt glared at the brunette, pushing him away gently. "Invading personal space."

"Sorry," Tai grinned, not looking sorry at all. "But how much personal space are you expecting to have, cramped on a small couch?"

Matt rolled his eyes, shifting himself slightly so the weight of Tai's body stopped crushing him.

They were both led across his sofa in his lounge, the brunette spread out on top of him, putting the blond at an immediate disadvantage. Tai however, seemed to enjoy his vulnerability, as he was certainly making the most of it.

Whenever Matt attempted to watch the film (today they were watching the Godfather), Tai would place random kisses over his neck and shoulder, or caress his hip lightly with tanned fingers. The butterflies that erupted in Matt's stomach at every touch were driving the blond utterly insane. He felt like pushing the brunette as far away as possible, just to spare himself the foreign feelings that were making him feel uncomfortable. He wasn't supposed to feel all fluffy about a client.

"You know, you have to go in a minute," Matt pointed out, glancing quickly at the clock. It was almost midnight, meaning Tai's time was almost up, and Matt wanted to try and remain as professional as possible. Letting the brunette stay longer than he was supposed to, would probably lead to things Matt would later regret.

"Oh," Tai moaned, running his fingers through Matt's hair. "Do I have to?"

"Yes."

Smiling slightly at Matt's immediate response, Tai placed a kiss to the escort's temple, enjoying the feel of his soft skin. "It's not like we haven't shared a bed before."

"You weren't a client then," Matt replied, rolling his eyes, kind of flattered that Tai was so persistent.

"Ok fine," the brunette said reluctantly, lifting himself off the blond and climbing to his feet. "I can take a hint."

"But I'll see you tomorrow though, right?" Matt asked, ashamed at the hopefulness that had crept into his voice.

Tai laughed, nodding eagerly. "Of course. Same time, yea?"

Matt smiled, taking the money Tai offered him happily and leading him to the door.

"See you tomorrow," the brunette said, leaning towards the blond and planting a swift kiss to his lips.

Smiling against his mouth, Matt pushed forwards slightly, unable to resist deepening the kiss. Feeling Tai's tongue mingle with his own, the blond fought back the urge to moan, encircling his arms around the brunette's neck.

Realising that if he didn't stop soon, he'd never be able to pull back, Matt pushed away, panting softly.

"I'll see you tomorrow," the blond said, attempting to regain his composure, knowing that his face had flushed so much he probably looked like a tomato.

Tai unfortunately, noticed anyway. Patting Matt's cheek softly, he laughed in amusement, ignoring the scowl the blond was sending him. "Your so cute!"

"Out!" Matt cried, giving the brunette a less than friendly shove.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow then shall I?!" Tai laughed, pressing another soft kiss against Matt's lips before waving goodbye, shutting the door loudly behind him.

* * *

Late the next day, back at Matt's apartment, the blond was shuffling around in excitement, waiting eagerly for Tai's appearance.

Checking himself repeatedly in the mirror, Matt adjusted his clothing, once again nervous about the brunette's upcoming arrival, just like he'd been every day that week. He wasn't sure why Tai was having such an affect on him (after all he was just a client), but he strangely found himself enjoying the nervousness and excitement the brunette caused within him.

Tai was so different from his other clients. He wasn't a pervert for a start, even if he did get very touchy-feely with the blond.

Smiling to himself at the thought, Matt glanced nervously out his apartment window, waiting to see of he could spot the brunette's approach. After all, Tai's hair could be seen from a mile away.

However soon interrupted by the ringing of his phone, Matt turned from his spying spot, somewhat thankful for the distraction. He was starting to turn into a creepy stalker.

Sighing at how sad he had become, Matt picked up his phone, holding it up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Ishida? It's Mr Tanaka," said a cold booming voice over the phone.

Matt winced, feeling dread seep slowly through him. Mr Tanaka was one of his more regular clients, one that Matt wished he didn't have. Although not necessarily a complete psychopath, Tanaka certainly wanted things done his way, and fully expected Matt to follow his every command.

And unfortunately, Matt hated being told what to do.

"How are you Mr Tanaka?" the blond asked politely, instantly knowing what the man had called for.

"I'm fine," he replied curtly, evidently wanting to get to the point. "When is your next available appointment? I want one as soon as possible."

Attempting to contain his groan, Matt rubbed his head tiredly, unsure of what to say. He did have an unspoken agreement with Tai, which meant he had to go out with the brunette every night, but it wasn't like the blond could tell Tanaka that. He was unlikely to take it as a reasonable excuse.

"Um…I have tomorrow free," Matt admitted, silently wondering what he was going to tell Tai.

"That's fine. I'll see you at 7," Tanaka said before promptly hanging up.

Staring down at the phone in his hand in mild surprise, Matt shook his head, attempting to clear his thoughts. Although he knew that accepting Tanaka's offer would be more beneficial in the long run, he couldn't shake off the sadness that he felt when he realised he wouldn't be seeing Tai.

As much as the blond hated to admit it, he'd grown attached to Tai's daily visits.

Collapsing on the couch, happy mood having diminished, Matt buried his head in his hands, groaning softly. He was not looking forward to the next day.

However, lost in his sombre thoughts, the blond jumped in surprise as the doorbell rang, alerting him to Tai's arrival.

Taking a deep breath and trying to compose himself, the blond climbed to his feet, attempting to appear professional. The last thing he needed was Tai insisting to know what was wrong.

Approaching the door and running his hands through his hair nervously, Matt pulled open the handle, coming face to face with the grinning brunette.

"Hey," Tai exclaimed casually, walking over the threshold without so much as an invitation.

Rolling his eyes slightly, Matt shut the door behind the brunette, ignoring the loud pounding of his heartbeat. He was determined not to fall apart at Tai's mere presence; he was going to be the picture of professionalism.

"So…" the blond began, instantly cut off as Tai's lips clamped over his own.

Immediately surrendering to the brunette's passionate kiss, Matt was pushed quickly backwards, until he was trapped between Tai's body and the door. Letting out a muffled yelp, the blond felt the brunette's hand slip quickly up his shirt, stroking his stomach softly.

Pulling away before things got to heated, Matt surveyed the brunette through glazed eyes, heart hammering in his chest.

"What are we going to do today then?" Matt asked breathlessly, before he could be cut off by another kiss.

Caressing the skin of Matt's hip, Tai shrugged, looking as though he was pondering something. "Well I was going to take you to this performance at the theatre downtown, but all the tickets for tonight were sold out."

Matt nodded, only half listening. His attention was now solely focused on the movements of the brunette's hand, which was still stroking his side absently. Just the soft touch of the Tai's hand had him shivering with desire.

"So when we go out tomorrow, we can go to the theatre yea?" the brunette said excitedly, bringing Matt out of his daydreams. Tai bounded away from the flushing blond and clapped his hands together like a small child, eyes alight with excitement.

Smiling slightly at Tai's antics, the blond took a deep breath, hating to have to disappoint the bubbly brunette. "I can't tomorrow, Tai. I'm busy."

Tai raised an eyebrow, his expression of excitement instantly turning to one of suspicion. "Busy? As in you have a client?"

Matt sighed, realising that he was just going to have to confess. "Yes, a client."

"What do you need to see a another client for?" Tai demanded accusingly, eyebrows furrowed. "I pay for all the dates you go on with me!"

"Yes, I know that," the blond said levelly, silently wondering why he didn't just tell Tai that he was going out with another client and to deal with it. It wasn't as though the brunette was the only possessive customer he'd ever had. Usually he just told them to like it or lump it, but for some reason, he found that he really didn't want to disappoint the brunette.

"If I'm paying you, then why do you have to go out with someone else?" Tai demanded, breaking the blond out of his reverie.

"Because I can't devote all my time to you Tai," Matt responded quietly. "I'll loose clients! You can't keep paying me forever!"

"Right," Tai hissed dangerously, "so you'd rather slobber over dirty old perverts than be with me?"

"Tai, please don't do this. Please don't be angry," Matt responded, shaking his head in frustration.

Tai scowled, fists balled as he attempted to contain his growing fury. "Well, what am I supposed to feel?!"

"Nothing!" Matt burst angrily before sighing tiredly, expression strained and weary. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to compose himself, he looked away, suddenly unable to look the brunette in the eye as he spoke. "Your not supposed to feel anything. You're just a client. You have no right to be upset or angry."

Tai blinked, taken aback by Matt's words.

"Right," the brunette said softly a minute later, all anger having drained from him. He just looked tired and if Matt guessed correctly, somewhat disappointed. "Just a client. I get it."

Seemingly having realised that Tai was hurt, Matt inwardly groaned, hating himself for not being able to comfort the brunette. "Look, if things were different…"

"But there not though, are they?" Tai said flatly, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I'm just going to go home. Here's your money."

Bundling a wad of cash into Matt's clasped hands, the brunette turned away, heading straight towards the front door, apparently unable to look at the blond any longer.

"Tai, wait!" Matt exclaimed, stomach knotted as he watched Tai walk away.

"I'll call you sometime for an appointment," the brunette said coldly over his shoulder. "That is if your not to busy to see me."

Matt opened his mouth, completely unsure of what to say. His heart was pounding loudly in his chest and a giant lump was rapidly forming in his throat. He wanted to tell the brunette that he wouldn't go on the date, wanted to beg him to stay, but suddenly found that he couldn't do either.

Watching with a sinking heart as Tai opened his apartment door, Matt looked down at the money wadded in his hands sadly, unable to watch the brunette leave.

However, Tai paused for a moment at the door, glancing back at the solemn blond before he exited. "Have _fun_ with your client."

And with that, the door swung shut behind him, leaving Matt stood very much alone.

To be continued…

* * *

**A/N **Lol this chapter was filled with aload of taito fluff and just went down hill as the chapter progressed. Sorry it wasn't a very happy ending. Their relationship in this chapter is very weird, but it's all part of the story.

But I've also written a lot of the next chapter, and its called 'The Self Destruct Button'. Things certainly start to get dirty during the next chapter - and I don't just mean in a sexual way btw. I might be posting bits of it on my live journal, just to give you an idea of where it's going.

Anyway, ramble over, please tell me what you think! I didn't check this chapter so I want to know whether it actually makes sense!


	7. The Self Destruct Button

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything...in this fanfic anyway.

**Summary**: Matt is an escort. An ESCORT! Not a hooker as many people choose to believe. That is until he meets Taichi and his remaining morals seem to desert him.

**Warnings**: Slash, **sexual situations **(especially in this chapter!) and language

* * *

****

**Chapter 7 - The Self Destruct Button**

It had been a long two weeks since Matt had last seen the brunette, and it was bothering him immensely. He knew that Tai had been mad at him but the brunette had still said he was going to call for an appointment during their heated argument. But unfortunately, Tai had done no such thing.

Matt hated the fact that he had actually become attached to the brunette, relying on his daily visits to get him through the day. He wasn't supposed to be so dependent on clients, especially for things other than money. It was pathetic really. So much for being professional.

If that wasn't enough, Tai's reluctance to speak to him couldn't of come at a worse time. Without his daily dates, Matt found himself very short of money, meaning he had to accept every client that was interested. Unfortunately this included complete bastards who were about forty years old with wives and children sat at home, evidently looking for cheap kicks.

It was so not fun.

There was also one client in particular who had developed an unhealthy fixation with the blond. Like Tai, Tanaka paid for dates frequently, perhaps more frequently than Matt would have liked. Although he'd never done anything inappropriate, the blond still felt uncomfortable around him. Tanaka expected him to follow orders without question, as though he was a slave, hired only to do his bidding.

Matt even had a date with him that very night, and was already absolutely dreading it.

Gone were the excited butterflies in his stomach that he used to get before his and Tai's dates. All he felt before meeting Tanaka was anxiety.

Adjusting his shirt in the mirror and glancing at the clock, Matt realised there was only a few minutes before Tanaka's arrival and let out a long sigh. Sometimes he really hated going to work, except maybe when his date was with Tai.

Jolting in surprise as the doorbell rang, the blond pulled himself out of his depressing thoughts and rechecked himself in the mirror, flicking his hair out of his eye.

Confident that he looked good enough to meet Tanaka's standards, Matt headed towards his front door, reluctant to even answer it. He plastered on what he hoped was a welcoming smile as he opened the door, despite feeling nothing but disappoint as it swung open and revealed who was on the other side.

"Evening Mr Tanaka," he said pleasantly.

"Are you ready to go?" Tanaka asked immediately, eyes sweeping up and down Matt's body, as though checking what the blond was wearing was acceptable.

Giving a quick nod, Matt locked his door and followed his client, who had instantly walked off, expecting the blond to follow him obediently.

Matt rolled his eyes but did as expected, striding slightly to keep up with Tanaka's powerful steps.

Silence descended upon the two as they walked quickly towards their destination, which was a large restaurant not far from Matt's apartment. They'd been there together a couple of times and Matt liked the food at least, even if the company left a lot to be desired.

"We're here," Tanaka stated a few minutes later, breaking through the deafening silence. Holding the door open for the surprised blond, he approached the nearest waiter and inquired about their table, once again ignoring Matt completely.

Slightly irritated that Tanaka still made no effort to talk to him, the blond hovered back, only coming forward once the waiter had confirmed their table was ready.

Seconds later, Matt was seated quietly at the table, engrossed in his menu, knowing it was pointless to engage in small talk with the older man. Tanaka was never talkative, despite Matt's best previous efforts. All he ever seemed to want to do was sit in Matt's presence, something which confused the blond greatly. Who in their right mind would pay someone to do nothing? Not that Matt was complaining. It often meant he got paid for no reason.

Trying to keep the money in mind, the blond ordered his food quickly and proceeded to devour it, eager to escape as soon as possible. He knew it was a long shot, but he was hoping that Tanaka would just let him leave once he had finished.

His client however, seemed to have other ideas.

Setting down his knife and fork slowly, Tanaka addressed the blond for one of the first times in the evening, gaze steady and unwavering. "I have a proposition for you."

Matt blinked, eyebrows creasing in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well let's just say I'll pay for a little extra on our next date," Mr Tanaka suggested calmly, giving the blond a small smile.

"A little extra?" the blond inquired hesitantly, unsure of whether he wanted to know what his client meant.

"Yes," he replied, eyes travelling up and down Matt's body pointedly. "You catch my drift."

Matt recoiled, eyes wide and horrified as he surveyed Tanaka. "No way! Definitely not!"

Tanaka raised his hands in surrender, looking surprised at Matt's sudden exclamation. "I was just saying, if you need extra money - say triple of what you get now - I'll be more than willing to pay for it."

Matt raised his eyebrows, shocked that the man had been so blunt. He'd had offers before of course, but never ones so generous. Triple of his current pay would help his finances dramatically, considering he could barely afford his school fees, let alone anything else.

However sleeping with Tanaka wasn't an activity Matt would particularly enjoy. The man was an intimidating 6 ft 3 and towered over the blond, despite Matt's own impressive stature. This was very unnerving for the blond, because as he had such a slender frame, Matt always relied on his height to intimidate people. And if that wasn't enough, Tanaka weighed about twice the amount the blond did, due to what Matt could only assume was pure muscle.

However despite his size, the blond had to admit that Tanaka was actually passively attractive. He was tall and dark-haired at least, although not necessarily handsome. He was certainly no Tai.

Suddenly realising where his thoughts were heading, Matt banished the brunette from his mind, attempting to turn his attention back towards his client.

But as soon as he had done so, to Matt's absolute horror, somebody else entered the restaurant. A athletic bushy-haired somebody.

"Shit!" Eyes widening in alarm, the blond grabbed his menu violently, jerking it up in front of his face.

Ignoring Tanaka's raised eyebrows, Matt peaked out above his disguise, gaze following the brunette as he crossed the room, sitting himself at a nearby table.

The blond sighed, unsure of whether he was happy or irritated about Tai's sudden appearance. After all he had definitely missed the brunette over the last couple weeks, but really didn't want Tai to know he was sitting with a client, especially after the brunette's previous reaction to his job. It was the reason they had fought in the first place.

Determined to escape the restaurant without any sort of confrontation, Matt knocked his drink back quickly, cringing slightly as the taste of double vodka and coke filled his mouth.

"Is something wrong?" Tanaka asked, sounding casually curious and somewhat amused.

Matt laughed nervously, a lot higher and louder than he had intended. "No, no, of course not."

However his piercing outburst of uncomfortable laughter seemed to have drawn unwanted attention, much to Matt's increasing dismay. Apparently recognising what had been Matt's jittery giggle, Tai turned round, eyes immediately drawn to the reddening face of the blond.

Eyes widening in surprise, Tai's gaze flickered from Matt to Tanaka, forehead furrowing as he started to frown.

The blond looked away, unable to meet the brunette's eyes, especially when Tanaka was studying him so closely, expression a lot more suspicious now.

"Shall we go then?" Matt suggested, trying to keep his tone cool and casual, despite how embarrassingly flustered he had become.

"I haven't finished yet," Tanaka replied calmly, gesturing to his drink.

"Ok then." Matt smiled weakly, looking down at the table, eager to escape Tai's burning gaze that he could feel on the side of his face. Jumping to his feet and throwing Tanaka what he hoped was a smile and not a grimace, he waved an arm in the direction of the toilet. "I'll be right back."

Marching away from the table at record speed, Matt practically dived into the toilet, pleased to be away from Tanaka and Tai's unwavering stares.

Splashing water over his face in the sink to calm himself, the blond took a deep breath, attempting to suck it up. So what if the situation was slightly awkward; he was an escort, the king of cool and collectiveness. He had definitely handled far worse.

Feeling a lot more composed and slightly more optimistic, Matt steeled his shoulders and opened the bathroom door, suddenly coming face to face with the one person he didn't want to see.

"Tai! You scared me!" Matt exclaimed, completely thrown off guard. So much for being composed.

"I see that," Tai commented, eyebrows raised. "I want to talk."

Blinking at the bluntness of the statement, Matt took a moment to gather himself. "Well I'm sorry, I can't right now. I'm busy."

"Yea I can see that too," the brunette replied bitterly, grabbing Matt's arm as he attempted to brush past him.

Ripping himself out of the brunette's grasp, Matt glared angrily, but remained where he was, undeniably curious about what Tai had to say.

"Well you certainly moved on quickly," Tai observed after a second of silence, eyes swivelling towards Tanaka, who was sat waiting somewhat impatiently. Although the brunette didn't sound too angry, the cold carelessness of his voice hurt Matt regardless, who was beginning to want nothing more than to see Tai smile again. He was ashamed to admit that he had missed the brunette's cheeky grin.

"What do you mean moved on quickly? Tai, you were never actually my boyfriend." Matt had crossed his arms over his chest, tone calm and posture tall. He was determined to appear more unconcerned than he actually felt, but was undoubtedly failing.

"Yes and why would I want to be?" Tai replied, eyebrows raised and anger increasing at the coldness of Matt's apparent aloofness. "Why would I want to date someone who obviously wouldn't be faithful?"

Matt scowled, eyes narrowing defensively. "It's my job Tai! Get over it! I kiss people and I happen to get paid for it, is that a crime?!"

"Well yes actually!" Tai pointed out, raising his own voice in return.

"It isn't even any of your business," Matt sniped, choosing to ignore the brunette's previous comment. "You made it perfectly clear that you didn't want to see me anymore!"

"Yea, because you were seeing other people as well!"

"It's my job!" Matt yelped exasperatedly, causing heads to turn in their direction.

"Yes I'd noticed actually," the brunette said sarcastically, placing a hand on his hip and glowering down at the blond. As two grown and mature adults, Tai knew that they should of been able to have one sensible conversation without argument, but despite his best efforts, he just couldn't contain himself. The blond had an annoying way of really getting on his nerves.

Sensing the brunette was growing tired of their argument, Matt let out a deep breath, attempting to rid himself of his anger. "Look, I've got to get back. I don't want to fight Tai. I like you, I do, but this is my job and you need to accept that."

Tai blinked, thrown by Matt's admission. He'd been lusting after the blond almost as soon as he'd met him, but he'd never believed that Matt had returned his feelings. It just didn't make any sense to him. How could Matt claim to like him and still kiss and caress other people? The thought alone made Tai squirm uncomfortably.

"So you like me, but still go on dates with other people every night?" the brunette asked, eyebrows raised. "Well sorry, but that doesn't sit right with me. I can't date someone like that. If your looking for a boy toy I suggest you look elsewhere."

Without giving the blond a backwards glance, Tai walked away, leaving Matt stood gaping behind him, both hurt and furious that the brunette had brushed him off once more.

Resisting the urge to curl his fists and rugby tackle Tai to the ground from behind, Matt stalked back to Tanaka, who gave a cold smile upon his return.

"What took you so long?"

"Some jackass held me up," Matt replied darkly, gaze flickering to the other side of the restaurant, where Tai was preparing to leave.

Narrowing his eyes while giving Tanaka an uneasy smile, Matt followed the brunette's movements with an icy glare. He was absolutely fed up with Tai judging and making comments about his life, especially when he himself was so completely unorganised and irresponsible. Matt was a grown man, perfectly entitled to do _whatever _he pleased.

With that thought in mind, the blond turned back to his client, face set and expression determined. "You know what, Mr Tanaka, about what you said earlier, I've changed my mind…"

* * *

An hour later, the blond stumbled back through his front door, face flushed and lip twitching nervously. Unwilling to turn on the light, he edged around his furniture, leading the man that had followed him through the dark and straight into his bedroom.

Pushed back against his wall as soon as he'd shut his door, Matt squeaked slightly in surprise, rough and demanding lips instantly muffling his shock.

He responded somewhat hesitantly, but nevertheless curled his arms around the man's neck, pushing his hips forward and receiving a low groan.

Taken aback by Matt's forwardness, the man pulled back and stared at the blond, squinting slightly in the dark. The blond flashed him a cheeky grin, amazed by his own confidence.

Tai had told him to find another toy boy and he already had. The brunette could shove _that_ up his ass.

Pulling Tanaka's head back down to his own, the blond bit harshly on his bottom lip, causing the man to grip his slender hips roughly. Ceasing the hem of the Matt's shirt in his grasp, he pulled it upwards, wrestling it off his head.

Feeling the cold chill of the night instantly hit his naked upper body, Matt suddenly felt very exposed and open. He needed to get under the covers of his bed as soon as possible. He'd feel a lot more comfortable there.

Grabbing Tanaka by the shirt collar and leading him back to the bed, the blond collapsed on top of his quilt, feeling the client press down onto him. Lips then instantly found his throat, making him jerk up shamefully at the touch. Although embarrassed, he just couldn't help it. He hadn't felt so free in a long time. The no sex with clients rule had really hindered his sex life. He desperately needed release.

Watching with anticipation as Tanaka removed his own top, Matt repressed a shiver, clutching desperately at the bed with balled fists. He couldn't believe he was actually going through with it. He had never believed that he could.

"Relax will you," Tanaka ordered, giving the blond a small nip at the neck in annoyance.

Jolting slightly, Matt took a deep breath, feeling Tanaka's rough fingers fiddle with the waistband of his pants. Closing his eyes tightly as his pants were pulled down his legs, Matt instantly felt Tanaka's hot breath against the inside of his thighs and opened them.

Matt watched as Tanaka rose and shed his pants through squinted eyes, mind wandering to Tai. He imagined sharing the same experience with the brunette and could practically hear him calling his name in ecstasy.

'Matt!'

'Matt!'

"Matt!"

"Matt! Are you here?"

Jolted out of his reverie by the volume of the yell, Matt looked towards Tanaka in confusion, wondering where the voice had suddenly come from. It was a lot more urgent than the one from his daydreams.

"There's someone in your apartment," Tanaka said quietly, causing the blond to gasp in horror.

He recognised the voice. It was Tai's voice.

However before Matt could so much as breathe, his bedroom door swung open, revealing the last person in the world the blond wanted to see.

"Oh my god!" Tai's eyes scanned the scene in horror, immediately causing him to recoil from the doorway.

Matt cursed repeatedly under his breath, making a quick dash for his clothes. He desperately attempted to cover himself as he waited for the brunette's inevitable blow up, face flushed and hair matted as Tanaka stood to the side, watching in confusion.

However to his immense surprise, Tai merely turned and walked away, shaking his head sadly.

"No Tai, wait!" Struggling to pull his pants up as he walked, Matt stumbled after the brunette, dread filling his stomach. How the hell was he going to explain his actions? "Please wait Tai!"

To Matt's surprise the brunette instantly stopped inches from the front door, spinning around to face the blond. He folded his arms across his chest and levelled Matt with an accusing stare, jaw set and eyes narrowed.

"Sorry for barging in but the door was open and I heard noises. I just came to see how you were after today, considering I was a bit harsh. I wanted to apologise," Tai said bitterly, expression cold and chilling. "Looks like I needn't have bothered."

"Tai…that was just…I mean…" Matt trailed off, face flaming and eyes downcast, looking thoroughly ashamed of himself.

"You don't need to explain yourself to me Matt," Tai said mockingly, shrugging his shoulders as though he didn't care. "After all, I'm just a client."

Hurt that his previous words had been thrown back in his face, Matt looked away, trying to hide the tears that had formed in his eyes.

Taking a moment to gather himself, Matt spoke shakily, desperate to defend his actions. "I just…I needed money."

"Well if your that desperate, I'd go back to him," Tai sneered, eyes flashing angrily. "I don't think he's going to appreciate you walking out half-way through."

"Tai, why are you being so horrible?" Matt asked quietly, shaking his head in despair.

"I'm just… disappointed. I thought you were better than that," Tai admitted, unsure of what to say. He wasn't sure why he was so angry, but he couldn't contain the feelings of hurt and resentment rising inside of him. "Look it's not really any of my business, so I'm just going to go. Do whatever and whoever you want!"

Throwing Matt's bedroom a disgusted look where Tanaka was still waiting, Tai turned and walked away, just as he had done twice before.

To be continued…

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**A/N** Yep, Matt's now a slut and Tai knows it. Sorry I took so long to update but I don't like this chapter as it finishes just as the last chapter did. I really struggled to write it. However I needed to make things less awkward between them and more hostile, as in the next chapter they are going to have to be very angry with each other for the storyline to work. There's going to be fireworks.

Next chapter is 'A Fine Line: Love and Hate.' There will definitely be Taito action.


	8. A Fine Line: Love and Hate

**Disclaimer:** Nothing belongs to me. I am BROKE.

**Summary**: Matt is an escort. An ESCORT! Not a hooker, as most people choose to believe. That is until he meets Taichi Yagami and his remaining morals seem to desert him. Taito!

**Warnings**: Slash, language and SEXUAL SITUATIONS, especially in this chapter! Ye be warned!

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**Chapter 8 - A Fine Line: Love and Hate**

It was one week after Tai had found Matt with his client at his apartment, and they both still refused to make the first move and speak to the other.

They had only crossed paths once since the whole incident, when they literally ran into each other at the supermarket. Averting their eyes and cursing silently, both ignored the other, desperate to escape the uncomfortable silence.

Tai knew that he shouldn't really feel so hurt by Matt's actions, but he couldn't stop himself. Watching a guy he really cared about to have sex with someone else was about as painful as he could manage, especially when the said guy had actually refused to sleep with _him_. Underneath his anger, he admittedly felt quite rejected. He just couldn't quite comprehend why Matt would want to sleep with a creepy thirty year old client, when he could of just slept with him. Surely a twenty year old athlete was the better option?

However after spending a whole three days after the incident complaining to Daisuke, the brunette finally decided to give up trying to understand, and to just let it go. He was still bitter - well seething actually - but no longer had the energy to deal with the blond. He promised himself that he'd banish Matt from his mind and move on, much to Daisuke's disappointment.

Tai obviously cared about Matt a lot if he was so bothered by what happened, and his friend thought it was a shame that the brunette was choosing to ignore the obvious connection he had with the blond, just because of his wounded pride.

It was at that moment that Daisuke decided to take drastic action and sort the mess out himself, regardless of whether Matt and Tai liked it or not….

* * *

Over a week later, Matt was stood waiting impatiently on a local sidewalk, clutching his jacket around himself as he tried to shield himself from the icy wind. Grumbling in annoyance, he checked his watch, scowling unhappily when he realised that his newest client was already ten minutes late. 

Squinting through the dark night, the blond attempted to spot anyone who could resemble the man he had spoken to on the phone the previous day. But considering Matt had no idea what the client actually looked like, it was proving to be quite difficult.

Growling in irritation when he realised it was getting him nowhere, Matt rechecked his watch, wondering when would be an appropriate time to just give up and leave. After all it wasn't like the client could get too mad, considering he was the one who was late. And what annoyed Matt the most, was that when the client had called him the day before, he had sounded eager for the soonest appointment possible, and yet he hadn't even bothered to turn up!

Rolling his eyes at the unreliability of his customers, Matt took another quick look around and then glanced down at his watch, becoming even more impatient.

After sighing in annoyance the blond looked up once more, almost choking on his own spit as a spiky flash of dark hair caught his eye, bounding towards him. Matt blinked, praying that the image was just a figure of his overactive imagination.

Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.

"Daisuke!" Matt yelped, eyes widening in surprise. "What?! What are you doing here?"

"Picking you up," Dai replied with a slight grin, clearly enjoying Matt's shock. "How are you, Blondie?"

Waving off the mahogany-haired boy's question with a shrug of his shoulders, Matt refocused on the situation at hand, determined to get a proper answer. "What do you mean picking me up?! You're the client that called yesterday? The one that wants a pretend boyfriend?"

"Um… not exactly. Come on, we're going to be late."

Grabbing Matt's pale wrist in a firm grip, Daisuke tugged sharply, jolting the blond into obediently following him.

Pulling him to a dark blue car he had parked next to the curb, Dai swung open the door and ushered the startled blond inside, face breaking into an evil grin. He had a feeling that the night was going to be very eventful, at least in one way or another.

Climbing into the front seat of the car and strapping himself in, Dai glanced at the blond in his mirror, who was currently staring at him in complete bewilderment. Not that Daisuke could blame him. After all, the last time Matt had seen him they'd been making out in the back room of a party, which Tai had happened to walk in on, face fuming.

"Soooo… how you been?" Daisuke asked, trying to break through the deafening silence as he started the car and pulled away, eager to sort everything out as soon as possible.

Matt shrugged, unsure of what to say. "Ok, I guess."

"Seen any clients lately?" Daisuke asked casually, trying to look like he was concentrating solely on driving.

Matt narrowed his eyes, staring suspiciously at the back of Daisuke's head. "Tai's told you hasn't he?"

The mahogany haired boy laughed, amused that his cover had been blown so quickly. "Yea, maybe a little."

"How much has he told you?"

"He just said that he liked you and you disappointed him," Daisuke replied, deciding to give the blond the cliff-notes version. In all honestly, Tai had said a whole lot more.

Shrugging his shoulders helplessly and looking out the window, Matt decided to change the subject. "So, tell me about this client then."

Daisuke gave a small smile and paused for a minute, as though contemplating what to say. "Well, he needs you to act like his boyfriend, and considering you did such a good job last time, I decided to call you."

Matt nodded, mind flashing back to the last time he had posed as someone's boyfriend. It had been Tai, using him to make an ex-boyfriend jealous, which had resulted in Matt getting completely drunk and making out with Daisuke.

Jolting the blond out of his memories, the mahogany haired boy stopped the car outside some apartment buildings, similar to the previous ones. "Come on. We're here!"

Sighing slightly, Matt undid his seatbelt and stepped out the car door, waiting patiently for Daisuke to lock the car.

"Follow me," the mahogany haired boy ordered, leading the blond up he nearest staircase and down a hallway, hands placed casually in his pockets.

Matt followed obediently, a strange sense of deju vu rise in his stomach. He didn't know why, but it was making him feel very unnerved. He was suddenly getting a very bad feeling about the whole night.

"So who's the client?" the blond asked, looking for reassurance.

Looking back at the blond, Daisuke finally stopped in front of a closed apartment door, where a party was obviously raging on the inside.

"Your about to find out," he replied, ringing the doorbell and ignoring Matt's incredulous look.

'So much for reassurance,' Matt thought, the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach becoming even stronger. His instincts were practically screaming at him to turn around and run home, but as an escort he knew he couldn't just bail on a client, especially considering it was Daisuke.

Swallowing a lump is in throat and attempting to compose himself, Matt pasted on a friendly smile as the apartment door swung open, revealing the one person that had haunted his nightmare's for the last two weeks.

"Matt!" Tai cried in astonishment, glancing from the gaping blond to a smirking Daisuke. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?!"

Taking a deep breath, Matt turned to Daisuke, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"_He's_ the client?!" The blond hissed, stabbing a finger in the brunette's direction and advancing on a cowering Daisuke.

"Client?!" Tai retorted indigently, raising his eyebrows. "No, I'm not! What the hell would I hire you for?!"

Matt flinched slightly at the brunette's harsh words but didn't bother to dignify them with a response, choosing instead to round on Daisuke. "What's going on Dai?!"

"Well basically, I hired you."

"So _you're_ the client?" Matt asked in confusion,

"No. _I_ hired you…but for Tai," Daisuke replied, shrugging his shoulders and giving the blond and brunette a sheepish grin.

"Oh god. Not again, " Matt muttered, closing his eyes in frustration and praying that it was all just a bad dream. He was hoping that he was going to wake up at any minute, warm and comfy at home in bed, but somehow thought it unlikely.

"You _hired _him! After everything I told you!" Tai exploded, not seeming to care that Matt was standing right in front of him.

"Well yes, you do still need someone to be your boyfriend so Ikato will leave you alone, right?" Daisuke said, referring to Tai's ex-boyfriend, who just so happened to be the biggest bastard on the entire planet.

"Yes! But not him!" Tai cried, waving an arm in Matt's direction.

"Look, I'm just going to go," the blond interrupted, eager to escape Tai's stinging words. He really didn't have the energy to deal with it. He had hoped that when he next met Tai, he would be able to uphold an image of sophistication and dignity in front of him, but needless to say he was failing miserably.

"No, you can't leave!" Daisuke said desperately, clutching onto Matt's arm in a crushing grip. "I've hired you!"

Opening his mouth to form some sort of response, the blond was cut off by the arrival of the one person who could make the situation even worse. Appearing behind Tai in the doorway was Ikato, a large mocking grin adorning his face.

"What's all this commotion about?" he asked snidely, causing Tai to roll his eyes in aggravation.

"None of your business," Daisuke replied, evidently annoyed by the interruption.

Ikato laughed, looking from Tai's scowling face to Matt and Daisuke, who were throwing each other tired glances. "Trouble in paradise?"

"No!" Daisuke snapped immediately. "They're still together."

"Really?" Ikato asked doubtfully, eyebrows raised as he watched the blond and brunette determinedly look away from each other. "They don't look like a couple to me."

"Like you know anything about being a couple," Tai hissed, moving out of the doorway and to Matt's side. As much as he disliked the blond after what had happened, he hated Ikato more and was prepared to do anything to get back at him, even if it meant pretending to be Matt's boyfriend once more.

"Still bitter about our break-up are you Tai?" Ikato sneered, causing Tai, Matt and Daisuke to all glare at him in resentment.

"Come on," the brunette said calmly, pulling on Matt's arm violently. "Let's go inside."

Trying to pull his arm out of Tai's pincer like grip as subtlety as he could, the blond followed the brunette inside obediently, unsure of what to say. It looked as though he was going to have to pretend to be Tai's boyfriend once again, despite the never-ending issues they were currently having.

Although Matt knew that he could just walk away and refuse the job, he didn't want to give Tai the satisfaction of victory. Leaving would just prove that the blond was still bothered by Tai's presence, and would just completely undermine the cool and collected visage he had displayed so far.

Sighing in frustration that he'd managed to get himself in such a stupid situation, Matt let Tai lead him into the lounge of the apartment, where people were drinking and dancing to the music.

Pulling Matt over into a corner, Tai looked down on him in irritation, silently cursing how much he was enjoying touching the blond again.

"Look, I don't like this anymore than you do, but now Ikato knows were still together, we have to pretend," the brunette said over the music, rolling his eyes slightly.

"That's fine," Matt replied calmly, crossing his arms over his chest and cocking his hip in his best professional pose. "But that means you have to be affectionate, if you can manage it."

"I can manage it," Tai snapped before stopping himself. If he and the blond started arguing, they weren't going to fool anybody, including Ikato.

Wrapping an arm around Matt's waist and pulling him into his body aggressively, Tai started towards the drink table, dragging the blond with him.

Gritting his teeth and pasting on a happy smile, Matt cursed silently. There was no doubt left now that the night was going to really put his professionalism to the test, but he was determined - no matter what - to be a proper escort and show Tai what he could do.

Pouring himself a small cup of punch, Matt edged closer to the brunette, who was watching the crowd of people pound to the music. He curled a hand around Tai's waist and leant into him, despite the brunette freezing instantly at his touch.

Leaning closer, Matt placed his head on his 'boyfriend's' broad shoulder, before muttering softly in his ear. "You've got to be affectionate, remember?"

"I know," Tai replied through gritted teeth, trying to ignore the way Matt's soft hair was tickling his neck.

"Do it then," the blond prompted, smiling despite himself as the brunette brought him closer, hands stroking his sides somewhat stiffly. Although the tension between them was making him somewhat uncomfortable, Matt couldn't deny how good it felt to be close to Tai once more.

However, the angry bitterness left from their last encounter was still hovering at the back of Matt's mind, refusing to go away. Even though Tai's touch made him feel warm and tingly, just the thought of the brunette's previous words conjured no emotion but anger. Tai had been so hurtful.

"So…did you finish the deed with your client in the end, after my little interruption?" Tai sniped a second later, giving Matt's waist a painful squeeze.

The blond looked up, anger clouding his features. Did the brunette actually believe that he would just go back and have sex with Tanaka after their confrontation?

"None of your business," Matt replied coldly, too angry to even dignify Tai with an answer. The brunette didn't deserve to know. He could come to his own conclusion.

Tai scowled, evidently taking Matt's response for a 'yes'. "Yea, just as I thought."

Pulling away and slamming his cup down on the side, Matt looked towards the dance floor, eager to get as far away from Tai as possible, before he had no choice but to beat him to death.

"I'm going to dance!"

"No, your not," Tai cried, grabbing Matt's arm and pulling him back.

"Get off of me!" Matt hissed quietly, trying not to draw any unwanted attention.

"No! Not until you give me some answers," the brunette replied angrily. Squeezing Matt's wrist in an even tighter grip, he pulled him in the direction of a back room, away from the hustle and bustle of the partiers. Tai was absolutely determined to sort things out once and for all.

"Tai!" Matt yelped as he was pushed forcefully into a dark room, away from the festivities.

Clicking on the light and locking the door, Tai turned to face the blond, who had now been released from his deathly grip.

Rubbing his wrist lightly, Matt glared at the brunette with increasing resentment, flicking his hair out of his eyes with a jerk of his head. "What do you think your doing?"

"I'm trying to understand what the hell is going on in that head of yours!" Tai cried in frustration, waving his hands around angrily. "First you tell me that you like me and said that you don't sleep with clients, but then I find you in bed with what's-his-name!"

"It was for the money Tai!"

"I was giving you money for dates too!"

"Yes, but I couldn't rely on you forever," Matt shrugged, shaking his head sadly. "And yea, I did like you, but when I told you that, you told me to go find another toy boy!"

Tai sighed, closing his eyes briefly. "Because you were going on dates with other people!"

"It's my job!" Matt cried.

"Is sleeping with client's your job too? Because you slept with that twat, but you wouldn't sleep with me?! You said no because I was a client!" Tai spat angrily, eyes narrowed as he surveyed the blond carefully.

"Wait! What?!" Matt yelped, surprise flashing across his face before his expression become one of accusation and anger. "Is that what this is all about?! Your pissed off because I wouldn't sleep with you?!"

Folding his arms across his chest and levelling the blond with an insulting look, Tai raised his eyebrows, desperate to keep his anger under control. "No! I'm pissed off because you said you wouldn't sleep with me because I was a client, then went and slept with what must have been your creepiest customer ever!"

"His name is Mr Tanaka and yes, he is kind of creepy, but he was willing to pay me a lot," Matt replied calmly, his tone sharp and dangerous.

"Right, of course. As soon as money's involved, all morals go flying out the window," Tai hissed, giving a careless shrug.

"Not usually!" Matt cried, unsure as to why he was bothering to defend himself. It wasn't like he even cared what Tai thought of him…much. "I needed the money Tai, and I'm fed up of explaining that to you! The only reason I became an escort in the first place was to pay for my school fees and apartment!"

"Oh, so if I offered you lots of money you'd sleep with me too?"

"No! And do you know why?!" Matt cried, answering his own question before Tai even had a chance to respond. "Because you are a possessive, unfeeling bastard!"

"Oh really?" Tai hissed, eyes narrowed so much now that it was a wonder he could even see. He advanced on the blond threateningly, watching in satisfaction as Matt retreated against a wall, watching the brunette's movements with suspicion and increasing panic. "So you would say no if I offered you a hundred dollars to do this?"

The brunette placed a hand against Matt's waist, edging it under his shirt and gently caressing the smooth skin of his pale hip.

The blond froze at the touch, his breath becoming short and shallow.

"Get off," Matt said weakly, his voice lacking conviction even to his own ears.

"No, I want to know," Tai replied, hand travelling further up Matt's body, eagerly exploring the skin that had been off limits until now. "Would you say no if I offered you money to do this?"

"No-o," Matt stuttered as the brunette's fingers tweaked his nipples, sending a jolt of pleasure down his spine.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite get that," Tai smirked, dipping his head forwards and nipping at Matt's neck sharply, causing the blond to let out a surprised yelp. "I said, would you say no if I offered you money to do this?"

Tai wrapped his arm around Matt's waist quickly and pulled the blond towards him, grinding their hips together desperately. The blond breathed in deeply, tilting his head back in pleasure as their arousals were pressed together.

"No," came Matt's shaky reply.

Tai grinned, enjoying having the blond at his mercy. He was definitely going to make the most out of it, regardless of the consequences. He had waited so long for the blond to respond to him.

Pressing his lips against Matt's exposed neck, the brunette sucked painfully at the white skin, watching in satisfaction as it turned red under his ministrations. His hand dipped down Matt's back, finger's groping frantically at his tight ass, hearing the blond moan loudly in response.

Pressing him harder against the wall, Tai jerked at Matt's thighs, silently ordering them to clamp around his waist. He ground his hips brutally against the blond, enjoying the throaty moans and gasps Matt was rewarding him with. It was making him grow impossibly hard, and he desperately needed some sort of release.

Ripping at the buttons of Matt's shirt hastily, the brunette revealed the pale skin to his hungry gaze, licking at the salty skin with a renewed vigour.

The blond clutched at Tai's messy hair for support, practically gasping for breath. He moved his hips against the brunette's in frustration, irritated by the denim that was separating them. In the back of his mind Matt knew what he was doing was wrong, especially considering it seemed that Tai was only doing it to prove a point, but he just couldn't help himself. The brunette was making him feel so good.

Pulling at Tai's head to gain his attention, Matt levelled him with a passionate stare. "Pants!" he gasped, jerking his hips against the brunette's to illustrate his point.

Smirking in satisfaction, Tai moved his hands to Matt's zipper, leaning towards the blond to engage in a frantic kiss. Thrusting his tongue into Matt's mouth impatiently, he pulled at the tight black pants the blond was wearing, inching them down his long slender legs eagerly.

Raising his eyebrows in amused surprise as he discovered Matt had failed to put on underwear, Tai's eyes surveyed the lithe form of the blond passionately, pleased that the escort was now naked under his stare.

Hands clamped painfully on Matt's pale thighs, holding them against his waist, Tai grinned gleefully, pleased that the blond had begun to blush under his heavy gaze. Pulling him into another deep kiss, Tai nipped at his swollen lips, trying to contain his victorious grin as the blond tugged impatiently at his own shirt, evidently annoyed that he was naked and Tai was not.

Moving back slightly to free himself of his top, the brunette looked at the blond with a feral grin, shedding himself of his shirt.

Pressing himself back against the blond eagerly, Tai's hands explored Matt's now exposed body, running tanned fingers over his flat stomach, the curve of his hip and finally the roundness of his ass.

Matt retuned the favour, his mouth descending the brunette's toned chest, teasing a nipple and nipping at his collar bone.

Jolting in surprise as Tai pressed a finger at his entrance, Matt wiggled frantically, desperate for more contact.

Abandoning his exploration of the brunette's chest, the blond turned his attention to Tai's jeans, the only item of clothing he was still wearing. Undoing the zipper with shaky hands, Matt pressed his ass closer to Tai's arousal, causing the brunette to groan in response.

Suddenly too impatient to wait for the blond, Tai grabbed his hands and pushed them back against the wall, rendering him completely immobile. Pressing his arousal against Matt's entrance, he thrust forward with a cry, burying himself in the blond with one feral move.

The blond gasped in pain, eyes widening.

Gripping Matt's thighs in a tight grip, the brunette used them as leverage, pushing himself slowly out of the escort to help reduce the pain.

Matt groaned, head falling forward to rest on Tai's shoulder as he thrust again, feeling Matt's tight muscles envelop him. Smirking slightly as the blond let out a cry of pleasure instead one of pain, the brunette pounded him against the wall hungrily, all inhibitions having vanished.

The blond arched his back, adjusted the angle and causing them both to moan in ecstasy. Tai's fingers were digging into Matt's soft thighs, only heightening the feeling of pleasure, as Matt gripped the brunette's messy hair in support, almost tearing strands off the top of his head.

Both men were gasping and moaning, feeling their climaxes build inside of them.

Tai buried his head in Matt's shoulder, feeling the escort's muscles contract tightly around him, signalling his climax. With a breathless moan, the blond exploded over the brunette's stomach a second later, causing Tai to come too, deep inside the escort.

The brunette collapsed against the blond, both breathing raggedly as they tried to regain their composures.

A minute later, Tai pulled back, turning away from Matt and proceeding to pick up this discarded shirt. He took a deep breath and cleaned himself up, without so much as looking at the blond.

Matt followed the brunette's movements with blinking eyes, making no move to cover himself. He was still leant tiredly against the wall, eyes lidded and face flushed. His skin was slick with sweat and cum, clothes scattered around himself.

"Do I have to pay extra for that privilege then?" Tai asked, buttoning his pants and throwing on a top carelessly, without so much as looking at the blond.

Matt blinked from his place against the wall, a little hurt by the comment. "No, of course not."

"Thanks, how charitable of you," Tai said sarcastically, smoothing the collar on his shirt and checking himself in a mirror. "Looks like you've slept with another client now. Just like Tanaka. Guess it's becoming a habit."

Matt recoiled slightly at the venom in the brunette's voice, wounded by the way Tai was treating him. Even after what had happened, the brunette was still regarding him with disdain and dislike. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart and prevent tears welling in his eyes. "Not really, considering this is the first time."

Scrambling to his feet shakily and gathering up his clothes, Matt ignored the way Tai had finally turned back to face him, surprise evident on his features.

"Wait, you didn't sleep with Tanaka?" the brunette asked sharply, eyebrows creased in confusion.

Matt slipped his clothes back on quickly, looking desperately at the floor, willing himself not to cry. On some level he knew he deserved Tai's comments, but the way the brunette had been acting towards him only seconds before had been just downright spiteful.

The sex had obviously just been a way for Tai to channel his anger, and that thought alone was what hurt the blond the most. The brunette had completely used him, and even worse, Matt had let him.

Swallowing his tears and refusing to look in the brunette's direction, Matt finally replied to Tai's question in the clearest coldest voice he could muster. "No I didn't sleep with Tanaka, and if you'd actually cared enough to ask properly, I would have told you that!"

Without so much as glancing back to see the brunette's reaction, Mat unlocked the door and walked out, slamming it loudly behind him, a twisted sense of satisfaction rising in his stomach as he realised that for the first time, he had walked out on Tai…

To be continued…

* * *

**A/N** I made Matt and Tai argue again! But this time, at least it had a different outcome. Things will get better in the next chapter I promise! Thanks for everyone that reviewed! As it was an extra long chapter (although it was a slow update) please review and let me know what you think! I'm curious to know whether people are sympathizing with Matt or Tai now. I'm hoping that the sex scene was not what people were expecting! 


	9. Nothing But The Truth

**Disclaimer:** Nothing belongs to me. I am BROKE.

**Summary:** Matt is an escort. An ESCORT! Not a hooker, as most people choose to believe. That is until he meets Taichi Yagami and his remaining morals seem to desert him. Taito!

**Warnings:** Slash, language and SEXUAL SITUATIONS.

* * *

**Chapter 9 - Nothing but the truth**

"Christ Matt, you must be boiling," Sora said the next morning, surveying the blond with growing apprehension as she entered their favourite cafe. Matt was looking even worse than the last time she'd seen him, which really was saying something as he'd been tired and hung-over at the time. His hair was dull and tousled, face white and splotchy, and he was dressed in large baggy clothes, a thick black scarf wrapped tightly round his neck.

"Good morning to you too," the blond replied dully, giving her a small strained smile.

"What's happened?" she asked immediately, seating herself opposite him and giving his arm an encouraging squeeze.

"Nothing," Matt said quietly, shaking his head. "Just had a rough night, that's all."

"Is it about Tai?"

Matt looked up quickly, surprise gracing his features. "How did you know?"

"Oh please, you spent weeks moping about him not talking to you and spent hours ranting about what an idiot he is over the phone. Only he could have this kind of effect on you," Sora explained softly, gaze running up and down his haggard form.

Matt smiled sadly, refusing to look the redhead in the eye. He just couldn't face her sympathetic expression. "I don't even know why he has this kind of effect on me. I don't know why I even care. He's just another client."

"Oh I don't think he's been just another client for a long time Matt," Sora replied knowingly, giving the blond a small pat. "I've just been waiting for you to admit it."

"Well I admitted it to him and he blew me off," Matt said sulkily, crossing his arms and glaring down at the table in anger. "God, why do I have to be such a gullible slut?!"

Sora raised her eyebrows, looking suitably confused. "Gullible slut?"

"Yeah. I liked him and I thought he liked me, so I - well we - you know… God I'm such an idiot! I should of known! I thought he liked me! But he was so nasty! Stupid asshole! I'm such a slut! A gullible slut!" Matt yelped, face flashing from sad to angry to sombre in quick succession.

Sora blinked, eyebrows raised so high they were beginning to disappear under her hair. "I honestly do not understand a word of what you just said."

Matt groaned, burying his head in his arms.

"Have I missed something?" Sora asked. "Why are you a slut? And when was Tai nasty?"

"It's nothing. Just forget it. I am," Matt replied unconvincingly, straightening his back and attempting to regain some of his usual composure.

"Yea I believe you," Sora said sarcastically, ignoring the glare he threw in her direction.

"Look, I'm just going to forget I every met Taichi," the blond said levelly, steeling his shoulders and looking determined. "Let's never speak of him again."

Sora bit her lip and gave an uncertain shrug, eyes widening slightly. "Well OK, if you say so. But Tai -"

"No Sora! I do not want to hear about Tai ever again!" Matt interrupted, banging his fist on the table.

"But Tai -"

"Sora!"

"Ok ok," Sora said hurriedly, starting to grow incredibly flustered. "Just look behind you."

Giving her a quick look of confusion, Matt swivelled on his seat, suddenly coming face to face with a tall and tanned brunette.

Tai.

Matt froze in shock and horror, his heart pounding so loud he could barely hear himself think. He stared at the brunette before him, his mind whirling in confusion. Tai stared back, evidently waiting for Matt's inevitable reaction.

The blond opened his mouth to say something, but could find no words to express the anger and hurt Tai had caused him the night before.

And so Matt did the only thing that he could think of. He picked up his drink of cold water sat on the small table next to him and proceeded to fling it at Tai's head…

* * *

'Shit, shit, shit,' Matt thought, inwardly kicking himself.

Marching quickly down the road, the blond fought the urge to turn and check over his shoulder, just in case the brunette had followed him to get revenge. After all Tai hadn't exactly looked pleased about having a drink of water thrown over him. Not that Matt could blame him. It wasn't exactly the most sensible decision he'd ever made.

And to make matters even worse, after he'd thrown it, Matt had just stood and watched in dream like fascination as the water splashed against the brunette's blinking face, causing rivers of water to run down tanned cheeks and drip onto Tai's clean blue shirt. The brunette had then spluttered slightly, jolting Matt from his daydream and causing his common sense to return to him like a hammer to the head.

Throwing a startled Sora an apologetic look, Matt had fled the café in panic, hearing Tai's angry voice shouting for his return.

Cursing himself for his stupidity, the blond couldn't help but wonder what Tai was doing at the café in the first place.

Surely he hadn't come to apologise? Contemplating the pleasant thought for a moment, Matt soon discarded it, knowing Tai was probably too proud to say sorry. It was more likely he had come back for round two, and despite the hurt Tai had caused him, the blond couldn't help the lust that was bubbling inside him at the thought.

However it seemed more probable that Tai had simply gone in the cafe to get a coffee and had accidentally run into the blond.

Trudging up to his apartment and opening his door with a shaky hand, Matt practically threw himself over his threshold and collapsed on his couch, now confident that the brunette hadn't followed him. For some reason the blond couldn't contain the dark disappointment that threatened to overwhelm him at the thought that Tai had not chosen to come after him, despite the fact he knew it was entirely his fault.

Closing his eyes and attempting to fall into a dreamless sleep, Matt jumped a mile when a loud ringing sound echoed through his apartment.

Groaning softy and staggering to his feet, the blond shuffled tiredly to his phone, raising it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Matt! What the hell did you do that for?!" came Sora's high-pitched voice.

Rolling his eyes and letting out a small sigh, the blond attempted nonchalance. "I have no idea what your talking about."

"No idea what I'm talking about?!" Sora practically screeched, so loudly that Matt actually had to hold the phone away from his ear. "You showered Tai in water."

Racking his brains attempting to think of a reasonable excuse for his behaviour, the blond eventually decided that denial would probably be the best policy. "Oh that!" he cried, as though comprehension had just dawned on him. "That wasn't Tai! He was just an ex-boyfriend."

"Don't lie Matt! How many other guys have 5 foot tall hair styles?!"

The blond inwardly cursed, suddenly regretting having told Sora what Tai looked like.

"Besides I spoke to him after you left," Sora continued, ignoring Matt's choke of surprise. "He told me who he was."

"What else did he say?" the blond asked, only partially aware that his voice had taken on a breathless tone.

"Just that he came to talk to you. To apologise I think."

Closing his eyes and attempting to digest what Sora was saying, Matt suddenly had the urge to bang his head against the wall repeatedly. So Tai had come to apologise after all, and he'd fucked it up. Sometimes his own complete and utter idiocy still amazed him.

"Is he mad about the whole drink thing?" Matt asked, somewhat dreading the answer.

"Well I don't think he's exactly happy about it," Sora replied flatly, despite the somewhat pleading tone in Matt's voice.

"What am I going to do?"

"Well I think your going to have to find him, because I don't think Tai's going to approach you again."

Groaning slightly and resting his hand against his head, the blond tried to organise his jumbled thoughts. "I don't know if I want to find him. He was horrible to me yesterday."

"Well I'd make up your mind fast."

"Yeah your right," Matt said slowly, weighing out his options. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to talk."

"Tell me how it goes," Sora said excitedly. "See you tomorrow!"

"Thanks. Bye," the blond replied, hanging up the phone and taking a deep breath. If Tai was big enough to make the first move, he was too.

He went into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, silently wondered how to make himself look presentable. The night before had shaken him so much he hadn't bothered to take a shower and he had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. The last thing he needed in his confrontation with Tai was to look like a zombie.

Splashing cold water over his face and pulling a comb through his rumbled hair, he proceeded to apply a gentle moisturiser to return the glow to his cheeks and gel to return the shine to his golden hair. Pleased that the result was as good as it was going to get, he headed to his bedroom, eager to get out of his baggy clothing.

After he had pulled on a pair of tight black pants and removed his shapeless hoodie, Matt was beginning to feel a lot more like himself, much to his immense relief. It would give him the confidence to sort everything out with Tai at last.

He picked up his keys and headed to the door, wondering where he could look for Tai first.

Tightening the scarf that was still fastened around his neck, Matt swung open the door and stepped onto the doorstep, colliding suddenly with a hard body.

"Tai!" he yelped, his previous confidence evidently having deserted him.

"Hi," the brunette replied awkwardly, hands stuffed in his jeans pockets.

Cringing slightly, Matt noticed the slight limpness of Tai's hair and the damp patches on his shirt, obviously the remainder of their earlier confrontation. He couldn't help but feel slightly guilty, despite the provocation he had endured the night before. He had just been so startled by the brunette's sudden appearance, that he had no idea what to do. Flinging water in the brunette's face had seemed like the only conceivable option.

"Um…hi," Matt replied, once again feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. The brunette's unexpected actions never failed to catch him off guard.

Eyes running over Matt's frozen form, Tai assessed the scarf wrapped around his pale neck and the keys jangling from his hands with a slight frown. "Are you going out?"

The blond shook his head, unable to trust his voice. "I was going to look for you actually."

Tai raised his eyebrows, unsure as to whether or not it was a good thing. "Not to pour another drink over me I hope."

Matt flinched, eyes lowered to the floor. "No, just to apologise for earlier."

"Good," Tai said with a slight smile, "because I came to apologise too."

The blond looked up quickly, his jaw instantly clenching. Although he had been the one very much in the wrong earlier that day, Matt felt that the disastrous events of the night before were solely Tai's fault, and he wasn't going to let the brunette get away with them. Tai had purposely used sex as a tool to hurt him and so Matt sure as hell wasn't going to make apologising easy for him.

"Apologise for what?" the blond asked coolly, despite knowing fully well what the brunette was referring to.

Tai sighed, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "Last night. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so horrible."

Matt raised an eyebrow doubtfully.

"Well OK, maybe I did, but I didn't quite have all the facts," the brunette said earnestly, leaning forward to stroke Matt's cheek lightly.

The blond froze, levelling Tai with a unwavering stare. His heart had jumped into his throat and he wasn't sure whether to recoil in anger, or lean into the gentle touch. "So your just apologising because now you know I didn't sleep with Tanaka, not because you treated me horribly?" Matt accused sharply, causing Tai to withdraw his hand.

"Not what I meant," the brunette replied.

"That's what it sounds like! It sounds like if I had slept with Tanaka I would have deserved the treatment you gave me!"

"No. I was just hurt by everything that happened with Tanaka. I'm trying to apologise!" Tai cried in exasperation, evidently noticing the look on Matt's face.

The blond sighed, suddenly tired of arguing. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Look, last night wasn't just about proving a point. I really like you," Tai admitted sheepishly, giving the blond a somewhat shy grin. He shuffled from foot to foot, looking so uncharacteristically bashful that Matt couldn't help but soften. "I really enjoyed what happened."

Matt laughed, glad that some of the tension had been dissolved. "I should hope so," he replied cheekily.

Tai smiled quickly, but soon sobered once more. The blond could tell he was inwardly debating whether to say something, and was obviously nervous about voicing it.

Matt cocked his head curiously to the side, waiting patiently for the brunette to speak through the stretching silence.

Finally Tai took a deep breath and spoke quickly, before he ran out of nerve. "The night you were with Tanaka, if I hadn't of walked in, would you have slept with him?"

Matt glanced up, looking the brunette directly in the eye. He spoke honestly, voice a lot stronger than he'd thought it'd be. "Probably."

Tai sighed, disappointment marring his features. "Well that's all I needed to now. And again, I'm sorry about last night. I'll see you sometime."

Matt opened his mouth in surprise, his speech having once again deserted him.

Tai had already turned around and was beginning to walk away, leaving the blond gaping in his wake.

Matt stood rooted in panic, knowing that if he just let the brunette leave he would sincerely regret it. Gathering his courage and racking his brains for something to say, the blond lurched forwards, grabbing onto Tai's arm.

The brunette turned, looking at Matt expectantly.

Once again blinded by panic, the blond did the only thing he could think of, and sealed Tai's lips in a passionate kiss.

Feeling the brunette instantly respond to his touch, Matt pressed closer, wrapping his arms around Tai's neck and burying his hands in his bushy hair. The blond resisted the urge to moan at the familiar feeling, grateful that the brunette was not pushing him away.

Drawing apart to catch some air, they both stared at the other, each wondering what they should do.

Matt bit his lip, waiting nervously for the brunette to respond.

"Look Matt, I don't think this is a good idea. I've told you before I couldn't be with anyone unfaithful," Tai said, withdrawing slightly but still keeping his arm hooked possessively around Matt's waist.

"I wouldn't be unfaithful," the blond protested, unable to keep the disappointment from his voice. Despite desperately trying to deny it to himself, Matt loved being with the brunette and his work was beginning to feel so trivial in comparison.

"But you'd still be kissing other people and I really can't handle that."

However despite his incessant protests, the brunette was still drawing imaginary circles on Matt's hip with his fingers, eager to slip his hand inside the escort's tight shirt. The brunette leant his head against the other's cheek, nuzzling his hair slightly and trying to resist the urge to pin the blond against the wall.

Groaning in frustration, Tai placed a soft kiss on Matt's jaw line and loosened his scarf, eager to reveal more soft pale skin. Eyebrows raised as he discovered deep red marks scattered down the escort's neck, the brunette felt a jolt of guilt. "Was that me?" he asked, stroking them softly with his finger.

Matt nodded, looking slightly hesitant about the line of questioning.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know I'd mauled you," Tai said with a smile.

The blond laughed, nipping slightly at the brunette's ear. "Don't worry. I wanted you to."

"Oh fuck it!" Tai cried, his self control deserting him. He captured the blond in a searing kiss, pushing their hips together with a desperate intensity.

Matt was just too damn irresistible for his own good.

* * *

Tapping his fingers against his thighs impatiently, Matt stood waiting in the drizzling rain, eyes scanning the street for his newest client.

After he and Tai had made-up the previous day, he was eager to spend all of his spare time with the brunette, making up for the time they had wasted. However reality had soon set in and Matt knew he had to get back to work, despite Tai's incessant protests.

The blond had promised with hand-on-heart that he wouldn't so much as kiss the client, much to the brunette's approval, and so here he was, one day later, stood once again waiting in the rain.

Feeling his patience growing short the blond took another look around, eyes assessing the darkened street when a familiar voice sounded behind him.

"Matt Ishida?"

Spinning on a heel and coming face to face with his new client, Matt nearly choked in surprise.

Stood in front of him was none other than Ikato, Tai's bastard of an ex-boyfriend, and the person Tai had hired Matt to make jealous in the first place.

As the blond struggled on the border of speech, a large smirk spread across Ikato's face, evidently having recognised the gaping escort. His eyes travelled over Matt's body with obvious disrespect, hands stuffed casually in the pockets of his jeans as he levelled the blond with a smug stare.

Matt closed his eyes in disbelief, finding only one word to express his complete shock and horror.

"Shit."

**To be continued…**

* * *

**A/N** I'm sorry about the lateness of this chapter but my computer is having serious issues and keeps spontaneously shutting down. After loosing hours worth of work multiple times, my patience was wearing thin with this chapter, but I finally finished it! It's not to the standard I wanted it to be but I wanted to get it out as quickly as possible.

Thanks for all the reviews, they really kick me into gear! And for the record leaving gasping replies and begging for more is a welcomed encouragement :) (cough butter-eri-fly cough). Thanks for your comments!

Review!


	10. Mad About The Boy

**Disclaimer: **Nothing belongs to me. I am BROKE.

**Summary**: Matt is an escort. An ESCORT! Not a hooker, as most people choose to believe. That is until he meets Taichi Yagami and his remaining morals seem to desert him. Taito!

**Warnings: **Slash, language and SEXUAL SITUATIONS.

**Chapter 10 - Mad About The Boy**

"Wait. You're the client?" Matt asked in amazement, silently cursing whatever higher-power had decided to put him in such a horrific situation.

"You're the escort?" Ikato responded, looking infinitely more smug than horrified.

"Er…no," Matt lied, deciding that honesty was definitely not the best policy at that particular moment.

Ikato however, did not look convinced.

"Right. So you frequently hang around on street corners and ask people if their clients?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and throwing the blond a patronising smile.

"Yes. Yes I do," Matt nodded unconvincing, inwardly cringing at his own inability to lie.

Throwing Ikato what he hoped was a charming smile through gritted teeth, the blond turned on a heel, fully intending to run away as fast as his legs could carry him. Ikato however, seemed to be intent on preventing his escape.

"Does Tai know?" he asked loudly, unable it seemed to hold back a triumphant smirk.

Matt froze, his mind whizzing into overdrive. If he admitted that Tai did know that he was an escort, Ikato would immediately realise that Matt had only been pretending to be the brunette's boyfriend at the party. But if he claimed that Tai did not know he was an escort, Ikato would try to use his profession as a reason to blackmail him.

Making a split second decision, Matt turned slowly, eyes flickering around uncertainly. "No, Tai doesn't know," he replied tonelessly, deciding it would be the lesser of the two evils to just lie. It was so much less complicated than telling the truth.

Ikato smiled, eyes shining dangerously. "That's interesting. Very interesting."

The blond scowled in response, crossing his arms across his chest and trying to disregard the uneasy feeling that was bubbling at the pit of his stomach.

"So how about are date then?" Ikato said a moment later, clapping his hands together and throwing Matt a hundred watt smile.

"Date?!" Matt laughed acidly. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"Tough," Ikato replied, smile fading slightly. "I've hired you!"

The blond raised an eyebrow, fixing the dark-haired man before him with an calculating look. "I have the right to refuse service to whoever I like!"

To Matt's immense surprise, Ikato carried on smiling, tilting his head and gazing at the blond with an almost innocent expression. "Maybe…" he said silkily, his words soft and slow. "But then again, I don't think Tai will be too happy to find out his boyfriend is an escort."

The blond cursed silently. Although he had predicted beforehand that Ikato might try to blackmail him about Tai, it didn't make it any less painful to hear. He was quickly running out of options.

"Your blackmailing me?" he asked with a scowl, blue eyes narrowed dangerously.

If it was possible, Ikato's smile became even more pronounced. "I don't know where you got that from!" he said innocently, "I was merely commenting that Tai would be incredibly disappointed to find out his boyfriend's an escort."

Matt closed his eyes for a second, wondering how on earth he managed to get himself in such situations. But realising that he had no choice but to play along, he levelled Ikato with a cold glare, admitting silent defeat.

"Excellent!" the black haired man said enthusiastically, evidently taking Matt's silence as consent. "Off we go then. Where do you want to go for our date?"

"A place far away from you!"

"Now now, do you treat all paying customers this way?" Ikato said patronisingly, hooking his arm around Matt's waist and leading him quickly down the road.

"It's part of my appeal," the blond replied angrily, as he attempted to squirm out of Ikato's firm hold.

"Oh believe me, that's not your only appeal," the dark-haired man said with a laugh, giving the blond a small smack on the ass and ignoring his yelp of horror. "What do you say we go for a drink?"

"I say burn in hell," Matt replied angrily, his eyes dangerously narrowed as he rubbed his sore behind. He wasn't sure how long he could last without turning around and smacking Ikato straight in the face, despite knowing it could ruin everything. If Ikato found out that Daisuke had simply hired the blond to be Tai's boyfriend, both he and brunette would never hear the end of it. Ikato would never let go of the fact that Tai had to buy himself a boyfriend

Deciding that he would just have to contain his anger, Matt rearranged his face into what he hoped was an impassive expression, rather than his previous scowl that had just been downright hostile.

He seemed to of succeeded, because Ikato gave him a small pat on the back and said, "I'm glad your starting to calm down."

Biting back a retort, Matt stuck his nose up in the air and stalked onwards with all the dignity he could muster, determined not to succumb to his anger.

Ikato gave a short laugh and followed him, his mind brimming with ideas.

* * *

"So with this escort business," Ikato said lightly, flagging down another couple of drinks from the barmen, "does Tai know you sleep with other people?"

Matt gritted his teeth, downing his drink in one quick flick of his wrist. "I do not sleep with other people!"

Ikato smiled in such a sickly manner that the blond was tempted to throttle him, but appeared not to notice Matt's mounting anger. "Of course you don't. But surely your tempted sometimes?" he asked with a casual shrug, passing the blond a small vodka and coke.

"No I'm not!" Matt cried incredulously, knocking back a cold gulp of drink in an attempt to calm himself. He was determined not let Ikato wind him up, but even his sneering smile made the blond want to kill him, despite his best efforts to remain calm.

"Oh, but surely you have to kiss other people?" Ikato said, in such a way it was although they were discussing the weather.

"Not often!" Matt replied, suddenly defensive. After all it was him kissing other people that Tai had such a problem with in the first place. "Besides, Tai doesn't mind," he lied.

Ikato raised an eyebrow, amusement gleaming in his eyes. "Really?"

"Yes! He understands!" The blond cringed at his lie, attempting to avoid Ikato's eyes by taking a furious sip of his drink. "He trusts me!"

Feeling the dark-haired man's gaze upon him, Matt turned to the barmen, face flushing under Ikato's unwavering stare.

"So Tai's never doubted you?"

Matt choked on his drink, but shook his head furiously, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Never," he replied, with far more conviction than he actually felt. He was suddenly not sure of much at all.

"If I was him, I'd want to keep you at home," Ikato coaxed, eyes surveying the blond carefully, but making no move to advance on him.

Somewhat comforted by this, Matt nodded, sipping his drink so he could survey his customer over the top of his glass. Ikato's ever changing demeanour was beginning to confuse him.

"Don't you think it's strange that he's letting you go off with other men? Is he not protective?"

"Yes he is!" the blond cried, his anger returning to him with a jolt. "He doesn't like me going off with other men at all!"

"But you just said he's fine with it! That he trusts you!" Ikato reminded him, expression impassive, though his eyes gleamed in triumph.

"Well yes, but…he…I…" Matt hesitated, face contorted in confusion and uncertainty, suddenly feeling incredibly flustered. "What I mean to say is…that he doesn't like it, but he supports me!"

"Oh I see. That's good of him," the dark-haired men said off-handily, waving his arm in indication for some more drinks.

"Yes it is!" the blond cried hotly, wanting to get his point across clearly, as though uncertain as to whether or not Ikato believed him. "He's a brilliant boyfriend."

"I remember," Ikato said with a smile, which only succeeded in fuelling Matt's defensiveness. He had momentarily forgotten that his client was Tai's ex-boyfriend, and the whole reason the blond and brunette had been introduced in the first place.

"But your not with him anymore!" he cried, only vaguely aware that he was stating the obvious.

The dark-haired man's face darkened slightly, but he smiled once more, passing Matt a drink. "Well spotted!"

The blond flushed and hiccupped slightly, shaking his head to try and relieve it of it's fogginess. He was not going to give Ikato the satisfaction of watching him fall apart.

"But when I was with Tai, he never wanted me out of his sight," Ikato began, evidently having discovered a new line of attack. "I'm glad he overcame his possessiveness."

Matt scowled, gulping back the burning taste of whiskey to try and prevent an angry retort. Somewhere in the back of his mind a small voice was reminding him that Ikato was only trying to stir things, but the blond couldn't help the bubble of uncertainty that had risen in his chest. Everything suddenly seemed very distorted, including his relationship with Tai.

He leant his head on his hand, desperately trying to gain control of his thoughts and feelings, which were currently rendering him speechless. Everything was so confusing that he had no idea how to respond to Ikato's words, suddenly feeling quite helpless.

Vaguely registering that he probably shouldn't have had so much to drink, Matt sat up straight, trying to regain control of himself.

"I'm sorry," Ikato continued insincerely, but the blond was too busy attempting not to sway in his seat that he barely noticed. "I should stop talking about the past. How are you and Tai now?"

Matt nodded distractedly, eyes unfocused as he pictured his boyfriend. "Good."

"I'm glad," his client responded, though his voice was somewhat wooden. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must go to the men's. Have another drink."

Vaguely relieved that Ikato was leaving, if only for a moment, Matt nodded, his head collapsing on the bar as soon as the dark-haired man disappeared from sight.

* * *

"What I don't understand, is how he could do that to me?!"

"It's a mystery."

"He said he liked me, and yet he did that to me!"

"Despicable."

"I mean, if you like someone, you don't treat them like that!"

"Quite right."

"I know we made up and everything, but it still hurts. Know what I mean?"

"Absolutely."

It was half an hour later, and Matt and his client were still sat at the bar in deep discussion. Or at least the blond was in deep discussion - mostly with himself it seemed - and Ikato was sat beside him, listening to his rant with increasing interest.

Matt hiccupped, his uncertainty pouring out of him almost as fast as the drinks were flowing. "I'm glad you understand. Was he like that with you?"

Ikato paused for a moment, evidently weighing out what he should say, although the blond did not seem to notice. "A bit."

"Some people - hiccup -never- hiccup -change."

"Why not break up with him then?" Ikato suggested lightly.

Matt jumped to his feet and swayed, but his eyes were dangerously narrowed. "No!"

"OK," Ikato said hastily, waving his arms defensively. "Just a suggestion. Sit back down."

Mumbling incoherently under his breath, the blond did as he was told, relieved that he had an excuse to collapse back in his chair. He barely even registered that he had just taken orders from a person his heartily despised.

"I was just thinking, if Tai sleeps with you and then tells you it means nothing, that he obviously doesn't care about you," Ikato explained, his voice soft and low.

"He does," Matt said groggily, although with a lot less anger and conviction than he intended. The calm even tone of Ikato's voice seemed to be lulling him into a state of comatose, so much so that he couldn't even bring himself to try and stop him.

"It's time," Ikato said a second later, glancing down at his watch. "Come on."

"Come on?" the blond repeated in confusion, allowing his client to almost drag him to his feet.

"Yes. You need to get home," Ikato said with some urgency, looping an arm around his waist and pulling him forward. To his immense relief, Matt did not try to fight him this time and simply crumpled into the embrace, so much so that it was almost like steering an unconscious body.

Leading him out of the bar and onto the deserted street, Ikato tightened his grip, feeling Matt slump slightly in his arms.

"Are you ok?"

The blond nodded feebly, clasping onto the edges of Ikato's jacket for dear life. His head was spinning and he could barely see, only able to make out bleary dark shapes around him.

"Shouldn't drink," he mumbled, feeling ashamed of himself. He couldn't believe he'd got himself drunk with a client once again.

"Indeed," Ikato said distractedly, his hands running up and down Matt's back in what he took as a comforting notion.

Leaning against his only support, the blond closed his eyes tightly, trying to block out the spinning and swaying of the world around him. Grateful but unsure as to why Ikato was helping him, he disregarded his doubts, unable to contemplate anything but how ill he was feeling.

Hearing the sudden roar of engines around him as though from miles away, Matt hiccupped once more, attempting to gain his bearings. He could feel Ikato's hands sliding over his back and his soft breathing, suddenly right next to his ear. Taking in a sharp intake of breath, he felt his client's lips graze the side of his face as he shifted, causing Matt to squirm uncomfortably.

However before he could do anything else, a loud voice echoed down the deserted road, causing the blond to freeze.

"What the _hell _is going on?"

"Oh god," Matt whispered, suddenly feeling even sicker than before. "Tai?"

The brunette was stood less than 50 metres away, watching Ikato and the blond with a face like thunder, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Matt stumbled away from his client, who let him go willingly, a smile upon his face.

"Oh Tai, what are you doing here?" Ikato asked, his face so alight with innocence that even the blond could see it. "What a lovely surprise?"

Matt gaped, comprehension finally dawning on him. However before he could speak, although he admittedly did not have a clue what to say, Ikato spoke again.

"I'm glad you arrived just in time to see me reject Matt's advances…"

The blond mouthed wordlessly, his alcohol addled brain unable to think up anything to defend him. He watched in horror as Ikato smirked back at him and swayed dangerously, suddenly feeling completely overcome. Glancing quickly from a sneering Ikato and a scowling Tai, he fell forward, allowing the darkness to claim him…

**To be continued…**

* * *

**A/N **I know this has taken forever! Sorry people, but I had to wait for inspiration to strike. It finally did, but I'm sorry it took so long. I also apologise for the lack of Tai in this chapter, although he was mentioned a lot. And the chapters short too. SORRY lol

I hope everyone understood Matt's actions in this chapter, and how Ikato managed to manipulate him. I didn't want to make Ikato's attempts too obvious, because then Matt wouldn't have fallen for them, but I also wanted to make it clear Matt was being tricked. I found it quite hard to write! And yes, Matt was drinking again :)


	11. Crash and Burn

**Hired Help**

**Chapter 11 - Crash and Burn**

When Matt awoke, he found that he was sprawled, rather unceremoniously, on the top of his own bed, fully clothed and suffering from one hell of a headache. He squinted into the darkness, his mind whirling in confusion, and lurched upright, clasping his head in pain. He cursed, wondering what the hell he had done the previous night in order to be in such a state, before noticing the sound of low voices coming from his living room.

He froze, suppressing the urge to squawk in panic, because it was just typical that he was being burgled while he was still in the apartment, until one of the voices rose an octave, and Matt jolted with recognition. It was funny, because it actually sounded like _Tai_.

Almost tripping over his own feet as he scrambled to the door, Matt held his breath in anticipation, wondering why Tai was in his apartment, and who the hell he was talking to. As he got to the door however, he suddenly realised he should have stayed in bed - maybe forever. Because at the sound of Ikato's incredulous reply, everything came rushing back to him like a blow to the head.

Last night he'd met up with Ikato - a _client_, and Tai's ex-boyfriend! - got absolutely plastered, and proceeded to spill his guts about absolutely everything. And then, just to make matters that much worse, Tai had shown up, just as Ikato was leeching all over him.

Oh god. He was screwed. Absolutely, completely screwed. Tai was going to _kill_ him.

Matt creaked open the door, wincing at the flood of light, and strained to hear their voices, wanting to access the situation before he burst into their conversation, delirious with panic, and an made an utter fool of himself. Maybe it wasn't as bad as he thought - maybe Tai knew it was just all a big misunderstanding.

Or maybe not.

"Don't give me that Ikato," Tai was saying, his voice rough and tinged with anger. "You just - you couldn't just leave me alone, and let me be happy."

"What?" Ikato exclaimed, disbelieving. "With _him_?" He sounded disgusted, his contempt for Matt heavy in his tone, making no attempt to be quiet now. Did they think he was _deaf_? "He's a little slut, Tai, and tonight just proved you'd never be able to trust him."

Matt's mouth dropped open in indignation, but he remained silent, mostly because he really wanted to hear what Tai would say. He'd defend him, surely?

"He's not -" Tai trailed off, and Matt's heart sunk through the floor, because Tai didn't sound angry or incredulous on his behalf, only confused. He changed tact a second later though, and snapped, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Um, yes," Ikato replied, "I do. Blondie told me everything last night. He was more than willing to fill in the blanks for me. He was never your boyfriend, just a hooker you hired for the night to make me jealous."

Matt's heart was thumping in his chest, so loud he was convinced they could hear it, and his stomach was filling with dread. He wanted to say something, to defend himself, but he was frozen to the spot, because everything Ikato was saying was _true_. And evidently Tai had realised it too. He said nothing for a long while, shaking his head, and Matt could practically see Ikato smirking in victory.

"Maybe that's how it began," Tai said after a pause, but he sounded shaken now, unsure, "But we're together now. He does like me."

"What, and is faithful to you?" Ikato asked with a laugh, answering his own question before Tai had a chance to reply. "Yeah, right. You didn't see him last night - he was all over me."

Matt swallowed, praying to the high heavens that Tai would just ignore him, because honestly, he couldn't even remember the night before. Was he all over Ikato? He didn't think so - he couldn't do that to Tai. Could he? He really hoped not.

"You're lying," Tai replied, but he sounded smaller than before, like he was wilting under the power of Ikato's stare.

It was distressing to listen to, because Ikato was manipulating him, making him doubt everything, wrapping him round his little finger, and Tai was just _letting_ him. Matt could barely believe it - fun, bubbly Taichi was being reduced to _this_. Should he say something? Try to defend himself? He doubted that it would even make a difference, because at the end of the day it would his word against Ikato's. Tai was just going to have faith. Their relationship would never work if he didn't.

"You know I'm not," Ikato continued, something victorious tinted in his voice now, like he knew he was winning, "You saw him."

There was a pause for a long moment, and Matt cringed, because he remembered Tai's appearance that night, when Ikato was draped all over him. It had looked bad - very bad - but surely Tai should know that Ikato had instigated it, and that really, Matt would rather not touch the raging sociopath with a ten foot barge pole.

However, Tai seemed to have no reply to Ikato's words, and instead snapped, "Well, I guess you know all about being faithful, considering you cheated on me numerous times when we were dating."

Matt's eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open slightly, because that explained _so much_. No wonder Tai was so funny about other people touching him - and why he had really not liked Matt's work to begin with. He hadn't wanted to go through the same thing again, and the blond was suddenly flooded with guilt, because he'd made an awful lot of mistakes - Tanaka, and Ikato, and even Daisuke. Oh _god_.

"Which is why I find this so strange, Tai," Ikato continued, evidently getting ready to deliver the killing blow, "When you finally dumped me you said that you couldn't be with someone who could do that to you anymore - and yet here you are, in a relationship with a prostitute."

Tai inhaled a lungful of breath, and choked, "He's not - he doesn't sleep with anyone else."

"He seemed pretty willing last night," Ikato replied, either not noticing or simply not caring how nauseous Tai was beginning to look. "Why are you with him? You obviously don't trust him."

Teeth snapping together in anger, Matt lurched forwards, unfrozen from his spot in his bedroom doorway, unable to listen to the conniving bastard for one second longer. Tai was letting himself be manipulated, Matt could _hear_ it, and he wasn't going to stand by and do nothing for one moment longer. He had hoped that Tai would trust him, and see through Ikato's lies on his own, but it just wasn't happening. Ikato was playing Tai like a violin. He'd obviously had a lot of practise.

Matt marched down the corridor, fully intended to barge straight in and forcefully remove Ikato from the building, until he reached the entrance of the living room.

Tai was backing himself up into a corner, looking confused and uncertain but not necessarily scared, and Ikato was advancing on him. He stopped when they were inches apart, breathing each other's air and staring into each other's eyes, unblinking, and Matt froze, panic lurching in his gut. Neither man seemed to notice him stood in the living room doorway, so engrossed in each other, and suddenly he just _knew_ what was about to happen.

"I don't trust you," Tai said into the silence, a statement rather than a accusation, and although he wasn't insisting he did trust Matt, at least saying he didn't trust Ikato was _something_.

"You know what you're getting with me, Tai," Ikato breathed, and his voice was soft like velvet, smooth and caressing, and Matt almost shuddered in disgust. "You seemed happy enough the two years we were together. And you're obviously still attracted to me." He flicked his gaze down to Tai's lips, and the brunette shivered, in a way that didn't look entirely revolted. "Why else would you hire someone to make me jealous in the first place?"

Tai's brow furrowed, face flushing, and he argued, almost instinctively, "Daisuke hired -"

Ikato raised a hand to Tai's lips, and to Matt's complete astonishment, the brunette instantly fell silent. What kind of spell did Ikato have Tai under? It was disturbing to watch, but Matt found that he couldn't look away, almost transfixed by the sight. Tai was happy, and loud, and outgoing, not this shadow of a man how seemed too spellbound to push Ikato away and tell him where to shove it.

"Don't lie," Ikato breathed, smiling, "I'll always be your first love Taichi - and you'll always have feelings for me."

Tai shook his head violently, seemingly trying to arrange his jumbled thoughts into something resembling sense, when Ikato moved forwards, and closed the remaining distance between them. Matt saw it coming, but did nothing, watching with a strange sort of detachment as Tai squawked slightly in surprise, and made to move away. But Ikato arms were bracketing him, effectively pinning him to the wall, and Tai struggled for a moment as his ex-boyfriend assaulted his lips, until suddenly, he had begun to kiss back.

It was only for a moment, their mouths moving together for a little more than second, but it was enough. Tai had kissed Ikato back.

Tai could deny it until he was blue in the face, but their was obviously still something there.

Matt's heart skittered in his chest.

"I don't mean to interrupt," he said, announcing his presence to the room at large, his voice croaky, but clear enough, not even shaking, "But if you're going to make out, I'd really appreciate it if it wasn't in my apartment."

Tai ripped himself out of Ikato's embrace, seemingly finding the strength now, and turned to face his so-called boyfriend, looking surprised, panicked, and a little bit bewildered. He mouthed silently for several seconds, his face crumbling, and choked, "Matt - no - I - I don't know -"

Matt watched him flounder, expression cold, and attempting to salvage at least some of his dignity, said, "The door's that way - I hope it hits you on the way out."

Tai shook his head in dismay, hair bouncing with the movement, and although he looked like he wanted to protest, he said nothing. He glanced at Ikato, who was watching the scene unfold with crossed arms and a smirking face, and turned to the door, evidently wanting to escape as quickly as possible. He offered a, "I need - I need to think. I'm sorry," before fleeing the apartment, but seemed unable to say anything more.

Matt inhaled a lungful of air, his face scrunching and eyes stinging, because after everything, Tai was just going to _leave_. He wasn't even going to try and fight for him? Obviously the relationship wasn't worth as much as he thought it was. He thought that was what he wanted - he thought he had wanted Tai to leave. But he hadn't actually expected the brunette to _listen_. Tai had never run away from him before.

"Sorry, blondie, nothing personal, but Tai will always be mine," Ikato said, patting Matt patronisingly on the arm on his way out. "Better luck next time."

Something snapped inside of him, and pure undulated hatred boiled in Matt's stomach, until he was almost blinded by rage. He latched onto Ikato's arm before he could escape, and did the only thing he could of, that didn't involve bursting into tears - he pulled back his arm, drove it forwards, and punched Ikato right in his stupid, smug face.

The crack of his nose almost made Matt feel better.

Almost, but not quite.

* * *

"Hey Matt!" Sora greeted the next day, looking far too cheerful for his liking. She took one good look at his face, however, and her expression crumbled, twisting in concern and alarm. "Are you ok? What happened?"

"Nothing," Matt replied tonelessly, collapsing down onto the seat opposite her and curling himself up in his hoodie.

He thought back to the previous day, to what Tai had done to him, and he couldn't even bring himself to be angry, because hadn't he brought the whole thing on himself? He'd kissed Daisuke, Tanaka, and plenty of others while he'd been with Tai, so it's not like he could even claim the moral high ground. It just _hurt_. "I got what I deserved, I guess."

Sora frowned, peering at him in concern, and said, "What?"

Matt shook his head, unwilling to tell her the whole story, because he really didn't want to relive it, and offered instead, "I just, I can't do this anymore."

"What do you mean? Can't do what?"

Matt flung up his hands in frustration. "Tai. Work. Everything." He looked down at the table, unable to meet his friend's eye, because he was ashamed - ashamed of most his actions over the last couple of months. Ashamed of Daisuke, Tanaka, his drunken escapades, and of the way he'd treated Tai. He knew he wasn't the only one in the wrong, but it was his actions that had shaken Tai in the first place. He'd drove him away. "It's messed me up - made me miserable, and I just can't carry on like this."

"So what are you going to do?" Sora asked, reaching across the table, clasping his hand, and squeezing it reassuringly.

"I'm not going to be an escort anymore," he announced, the words sounding strange on his own tongue. He'd thought about quitting before, of course, numerous times, but he'd never quite had the courage. What else could he do? How was he going to pay rent? They were all questions he still didn't have the answer to, but he knew he just _had_ to stop.

Sora blanched, eyes widening and mouth gaping. "What? Why?" she squawked, her voice having risen several octaves, "I thought you needed the money!"

Matt nodded, smiled, in a way that was attempting to be reassuring but just ended up looking kind of sad. "I do," he replied, before gesturing to himself - to his unclean hair, dishevelled clothes and sunken eyes. "But nothing's worth this."

Sora surveyed him for a long moment, nodding her head slowly, before venturing in a soft voice, "Are you doing this for Tai?"

Matt laughed, but it sounded strangely hollow in the silence. "No," he insisted, finding it wasn't a lie. It wasn't about Tai, it was about _him_. "We're finished. Or at least I think we are - him fleeing from my apartment after making out with his ex-boyfriend right in front of me made that pretty clear." He shrugged helplessly. "I just - I need to do this. For me. I've done some pretty shitty things, and I need to stop, before it goes too far."

After a pause, Sora smiled, a genuine smile, full of relief and maybe even pride. "I'm glad," she muttered, giving his hand a loving squeeze, "You deserve better than that."

Matt nodded jerkily, more grateful than he should have been for the gesture of support, and murmured a heartfelt, "Thanks."

**To be continued…**

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* * *

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**A/N **Sooo….um, I'm back. With more angst. Three years later. Is anyone still there? I'm so sorry about the long wait for this, and I don't even really have any excuses - I've just not been feeling inspired by Taito. I know how annoying it is when fics you like don't get finished or are abandoned, so I'm trying to push myself to get this done. I'm not making any promises, however, just that I'll try my best to finish it. Please review and let me know if you're still interested!


	12. A Clean Slate

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing etc etc

**Warnings**: Sexual situations, language, and SLASH.

* * *

**Hired Help**

**Chapter 12 - A Clean Slate**

Three weeks later and Matt was beginning to rebuild the shattered remains of his life. After spending a few days moping, bursting into tears at the slightest provocation, and eating a lot of ice-cream, he'd finally had the nerve to put his words to Sora into practise, and fix the utter mess he'd somehow managed to create for himself. He had a shower, got himself a haircut, and spring-cleaned his apartment, wanting above all else, to feel prepared for his fresh start.

Everything that was associated with his old life - with his _prostitution_ - he deposed of. His clothes had been the first to go. He lit a fire in Sora's back-yard, ignoring her panicked screeching, and tossed his 'hooker clothes' on the flames with a somewhat evil (and hysterical) cackle, flinging anything that revealed more than two arms of skin. He kept his tight jeans, because they felt like a part of him - and despite what Sora said, they were _sexy_, not slutty - but tossed the ones with the deliberate holes in them, as they flashed pretty much all of his ass. Understandably, they had been a client favourite.

Next, he threw away his mobile. It was his connection to the escort world, how everyone contacted him, and he didn't want to be associated with them anymore. It took a great amount of coaxing from Sora, but he finally built the nerve to destroy it, throwing it against his bedroom wall with all the anger and frustration that had developed over the last few months, even years. It collided with a _crack_, and broke apart, littering parts all over his carpet.

But it didn't matter, because it was gone, and it would never be coming back. He was never going to reduce himself to escorting again - because as much as he protested, as much as he had denied it, it had made feel like less of a person. It had made him into someone he barely recognised anymore. Where had all his morals and beliefs gone? Or had he even had any?

Due to his increasingly dire financial situation, Matt also got a job at a local bar. It was shit money, long hours, and pretty much full of drunken idiots, but, it was better - at least for him. He could deal with the rowdy customers, and the unsubtle passes made at him, because if nothing else, escorting had given him fair share of experience in that area. Unfortunately, the pay was much less than he used to make, and he found himself cutting back on most of his luxuries, such as new skinny jeans and hair gel. But it was ok, because he didn't feel ashamed anymore. He could live.

But despite all the developments he'd made in his life, during the eerie silence in the middle of the night, his thoughts strayed back to one person - Taichi.

Since the whole 'incident' with Ikato in his apartment, there had been only one attempt at contact from Tai, two days into Matt's 'rehabilitation'. Apparently too scared to call Matt's mobile - because he might actually _answer_ - Tai had called and left a rather vague message on his home answering machine, sounding tired, confused, and generally like shit.

The blond was really hoping that the strain in Tai's voice would make him feel better, when in fact, it actually made him feel worse. Despite everything that had happened, he still had feelings for Taichi, and he didn't actually _want_ him to be upset - even though the whole thing with Ikato had hurt him, more than he could say.

The message had said: _"Um, hi Matt, it's Tai. I just called to - well, check you were alright, I guess? I care about you and I - I don't know. About what happened…it was - I don't know. I'm just sorry. You didn't deserve that, and Ikato - he's not - we're not - together. I'm just confused. I used to really love him, and it all came rushing back…. I need to get my head clear - before I can - well, be in relationship… I hope you understand. I'm sorry. I'll speak to you soon, yeah? Well, bye."_

He knew that he should probably delete it, and forget all about Taichi-period of his life, because he was supposed to be trying for a fresh start. But every time he tried, his finger hovering shakily over the erase button, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He found himself crouched in front of his answering machine instead, listening to the message again, and again, and again, just for the soothing sound of Tai's voice. He missed his voice, his laughter, and his stupid jokes, and he just wished the brunette could see what he was trying to do with his life - to share it with him.

But he wasn't stupid. He knew Tai probably wouldn't ever be coming back - and he wasn't even sure he wanted him to. After all, did he really want to be in a relationship with someone who obviously still had feelings for a broken-nosed jerk? Did he really want to be Tai's second choice? No, he didn't. But that didn't change the way his heart fluttered every time he heard the timbre of Tai's voice, or caught a flash of messy brown hair in the street. He guessed it was just something he was going to have to be patient with, and wait for the feelings to fade.

Daisuke however, didn't seem too pleased with his plan of 'ignore feelings until they go away' when he called late in the week, attempting to convince Matt to try and talk to his best friend. From what he'd said, it seemed like Tai was deciding whether or not he should get back with Ikato, and Daisuke sounded as though he was in absolute _despair_. He hated the fucker almost as much as Matt did.

"What do you mean you're not going to call him?" he exclaimed, aghast, and Matt could practically picture his horrified expression from several miles away.

"What do you mean, what do I mean?" the blond replied, already tired and feeling like shit, even though the conversation had barely begun. Daisuke had a fair point though - how could Tai be thinking of getting back with Ikato after everything that had happened? Was he stupid? It hurt. It hurt that Tai could go back to Ikato so quickly. "I told you, I'm not going to call him."

Daisuke's reply was so loud and incredulous that Matt had to hold the phone away from his ear. "Why not?"

Matt took in a long deep breath, attempting to calm himself, because he was _trying_ to be a better person, and that included being patient - even with Daisuke. "Because I'm trying to move on with my life," he explained, with such forced calm that he sounded slightly stoned. "If Tai wants to get back with Ikato, then, well, good luck to him."

"You don't mean that!" Daisuke argued, and Matt sighed, because he could tell it was going to be a long, frustrating conversation. "You're just upset about what happened! I know what Tai did to you was shit, but Ikato makes him act like a crazy person. He's been with Ikato since he was 16, and didn't work up the nerve to break up with him until a few months ago, a few weeks before he met you, despite Ikato cheating on him _multiple times._"

Matt rubbed a hand at his forehead, feeling tired, confused and aching. He hoped Tai wouldn't get back together with Ikato, because he deserved far better than that, but what was _he_ supposed to do about it? Tai had already made his choice, and as much as it hurt to admit it, apparently it wasn't him. "Look, I know you're concerned for him," he replied, "but it's not really my problem anymore. He made that choice."

Daisuke let out a noise that was somewhere between a cry of frustration and a groan of exasperation. "He was being an _idiot_!" he exclaimed, so vehemently that Matt almost laughed. "You're the only person who can talk him out of this! He still has serious feelings for you!"

Matt's heart did a backwards sort of flip. He knew it was true, because Tai had made his feelings pretty clear the brief time they'd been together, but it still made him feel fluttery actually hearing it. He still wanted Tai to want him. "Maybe," he conceded, with a sigh, "but he's still got serious feelings for Ikato as well. And I can't be with someone who would rather be with someone else."

Daisuke sounded as though he wanted to rip his own hair out, and Matt was jolted by a strong surge of affection. He wished he'd spent more time with Daisuke - in a platonic way, of course - but now that he and Tai were finished, he guessed that he would never get the chance. Daisuke was loud, funny, cared about his friends, and actually seemed to _like_ him; he needed people like that in his life. Sora was great and everything, but there were only so many things he could talk about with a _girl_.

"He wouldn't rather be with Ikato!" Daisuke exclaimed, jolting the blond from his musings. "Ikato made him miserable! But he just hasn't got over their break-up yet." There was a pause, and a rush of breath over the phone, and he added, much more softly, "Look, if you cared for him at all, you'd do this. You know Ikato is an ass."

Matt knew that Daisuke was trying to emotionally blackmail him, but _dammit_, it was working! He wanted to get Tai as far away from Ikato as humanly possible. "Want do you want me to do?" he croaked, sounding desperate now, "Beg him to get back together with me? Because I'm not sure that's what I want."

Daisuke sighed. "No, I just want you to talk. Maybe punch some sense into him." He laughed, apparently amused by the mental image, and whined, "Please? Pretty please?"

Sensing the conversation was not going to come to close until he actually agreed, and hating the image of Tai and Ikato back together again, kissing and curled around each other, Matt found himself replying, "Ok then. I'll speak to him," before he could stop himself.

Sometimes his mouth just didn't connect with his brain.

* * *

It was only after he'd hung up on a much cheerier sounding Daisuke, did Matt really understand what he had just agreed to. He had to talk to Tai, to see him, and convince him not to hook back up with a disgusting, two-faced jerk. He was going to sound like a desperate, jealous idiot. Which he was, of course, but Tai didn't need to know that.

Functioning completely on automatic, his mind in the clouds - or on his coming confrontation with Taichi - he had a long shower and dried his hair, before attempting to pick out an outfit that would look both casual and attractive. It's not like he wanted to get back together with Tai - well, ok, he _did_, he just wasn't going to act on it - but he did want to look his best. He wanted to show the brunette how he was doing better, and how he was actually rebuilding his life.

He chose a pair of dark skinny jeans (because they were pretty much all he owned), and a blue jumper, one that Tai had commented, 'brought out his eyes' - before styling his hair into his sex-head look. He gave himself a quick spritz of body spray, and admired himself in the mirror, tilting his head at all available angles. He looked good. A bit tired, a bit wane, but about as good as he was going to get without having a long vacation to Hawaii.

Taking in a deep breath and gathering what courage he had, he grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone, and high-tailed it out of the apartment, before he had a chance to change his mind. He figured it would be much easier to just get it over with, rather than dwell on everything, because otherwise he would just drive himself _insane_. All he had to do was talk to Taichi, remind him about what a raging lunatic Ikato was, and then move on with his life. He hoped it would be easier afterwards - maybe he'd finally have closure.

Shaking his head to clear it of his uncertainties, he got the bus from the end of the street, right to Taichi's apartment, and found himself stood on his door-step, ten minutes later. The door looked the same as it always did, boring and grey, but the fact that Tai might be on the other side of it filled him with terror. And he wasn't even sure why.

He raised his hand to knock, changed his mind a second later, turned on a heel, and walked straight into Mimi - Tai's pink-haired flatmate.

"Er, hello," he croaked, eyes wide and face flushing, because she had just caught his cowardice red-handed.

Mimi's eyebrows shot into her hairline, looking astonished, as she exclaimed, "Matt!" in a very loud high-pitched voice.

The blond cringed, because could she be any more unsubtle, and he cast a panicked glance at the door, hoping that Tai had not heard that, so he could flee to his apartment in peace. He was stupid for coming here; he was supposed to be moving on with his life, not hovering like a stalker on Tai's front door step.

"Hi Mimi," he said quickly, really hoping she would let him leave without argument, "Sorry about that, I didn't see you!" He gave her a friendly pat on the arm, and moved to dash past her, muttering, "I've got to go, but I'll see you later."

Talon like nails clutched at his arm, and he froze, his heart sinking through the floor. What had he been thinking? _Of course_ she wasn't just going to let him leave.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, dragging him back in front of her, "What are you doing here? Are you here to see Tai? Because I can let you in if you want."

Matt was shaking his head before she'd even finished a sentence. "No, it's ok," he said hastily, cursing Daisuke for ever coming up with this stupid idea in the first place. What had he been thinking? Bad, _bad_ idea. "I don't need to see him. I was just passing and - I don't need to see him."

Mimi's face fell and she made a little, "Oh," sound. "Why don't you want to talk to him?" she asked, shaking her head of pink hair. "I know he made some mistakes, but he's been really miserable without you. He really misses you. I think he'd be happy to see you."

Matt was surprised to hear that, considering the last he'd heard from Tai, the brunette had needed 'space'. "He said he needed time to think," he pointed out, hating himself for getting drawn into a conversation when he should be running in the opposite direction, but unable to stop himself. He was curious, he had to admit, and a little bit happy that Tai was missing him, just like he was missing Tai.

"Yeah, that was until Ikato reintroduced himself to the picture," Mimi said, sounding a little bit bitter. So she didn't like Ikato either? Hardly a surprise, but it was nice to know that none of Taichi's friends seemed to hate _him_ with the same fiery passion.

Matt nodded. "I heard. Tai's an idiot for listening to him."

"_Thank you_!" Mimi exclaimed, clapping her hands together and rolling her eyes. "Another person with a brain! Want to lend Tai yours?"

Matt couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry, I probably need it," he replied, with a small shrug. He took in a long breath, shifted from foot to foot, and asked hesitantly, "He is ok though? He's doing alright?"

Mimi merely replied, "I think you should see him."

Before Matt could push her to elaborate, however, there was a creak, and the apartment door swung open. Tai was stood in the threshold, wearing a white top, a pair of sweatpants, and a very confused expression. His hair was even more disastrous than usual, but he looked warm, and comfy, and Matt suddenly felt a little bit delirious with want.

Tai turned his gaze to the blond a moment later, and inhaled loudly, his mouth opening in surprise. "Matt!" he cried, shaking his head slightly, "I recognised the voice - I thought I was hallucinating."

The blond opened his mouth and shut it again, before settling on a shaky laugh. "Um, nope," he replied, feeling and sounding a little bit faint. So much for his escape. He spread his arms, and added lamely, "Here I am."

Tai blinked at him. And then blinked some more, looking surprised, but actually sort of hopeful. "What are you doing here?" he asked, shifting uncomfortably and running a self-conscious hand through his hair.

Matt hesitated for a second, inwardly debating as to whether he should stay and probably end up throwing himself at Tai in desire, or flee the apartment with his dignity in tatters. But it was already too late - Tai knew he was here now. There was no point in lying. "I, um, wanted to speak to you actually."

Mimi beamed from beside him, but raised her eyebrows a moment later, as the two men stood surveying each other unblinkingly. "Well," she announced loudly, drawing their attention away from each other, "I'll leave you guys to it." She gave the blond a brief smile, and nodded a thankful, "Later Matt."

He watched her turn and disappear back down the corridor, calling, "Bye Mimi!" unsure as to whether he was relieved to be alone with Tai, or absolutely terrified. It sent a thrill of _something_ down his spine, that was for sure.

"Do you want to come in?" Tai asked, after several seconds of stilted silence. He pushed open the door and disappeared inside, leaving Matt to follow him.

The blond contemplated one last dash for the exit, but was too overcome with relief, because Tai hadn't told him to just fuck off. That would have hurt more than he was willing to admit. So he shuffled inside, hands in pockets, and stood to face Tai in the entrance to the living room.

"So," the brunette said, looking almost as uncomfortable as Matt felt, "What's up?"

Matt shrugged, because sprouting off about Daisuke emotionally blackmailing him to come here didn't really seem like the best way to go. "I guess I just wanted to see how you are," he said instead. That sounded nice and neutral - not too desperate, and not too heartless.

"I'm ok." In a gesture of uncharacteristic shyness, he rocked backwards and forwards on the balls of his feet, and looked at the floor, glancing up at Matt through his eyelashes. "I just - I've wanted to speak to you," he said hesitantly, "but I didn't really know what to say. I didn't even know if you would speak to me."

Matt let out a bark of hollow laughter, because really, that was the lamest excuse he'd ever heard. If Tai didn't want to speak to him, fine - but he should at least be man enough to admit it. "You could have tried," he pointed out, before hearing the bite in his voice, and letting out a sigh. He didn't want to get drawn into an argument. "I'm not angry with you, ok? I just - I deserved closure, you know? You kissed Ikato, and left, and I've barely heard from you." He met Tai's direct gaze, and added, in voice slightly more bitter than he intended, "You could have at least dumped me to my face."

"I didn't want to dump you," Tai replied immediately, looking so earnest that Matt's heart did a somersault in his chest. "I figured that after what had happened, you wanted to dump me."

Matt threw his arms up in frustration. "Did I say that?"

Tai groaned slightly and rubbed at his temple, looking tired and very confused. "I'm sorry," he offered, with a small shrug. "I know I've been an idiot lately, but before I could talk to you, I needed to figure things out for myself."

"And have you?"

Tai laughed, but it wasn't a particularly happy sound. "Not really," he admitted, in a disbelieving tone. "If anything, I'm more confused." He stepped forwards slightly, until they were only a metre apart, and confessed, "I like you, Matt - I like you _a lot _-"

_BRIIIINNNNNNNGGGG!_

Both Matt and Tai jumped several feet, as his heartfelt confession was interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone, buzzing on the side of the coffee table. Tai cursed, looking flustered, and went to retrieve it, taking a quick glance at the screen. His expression shuttered, his eyebrows drawing down into a frown, and Matt instantly knew the identity of the caller.

"Ikato?" he guessed, trying to sound nonchalant, but just sounding pissed. Daisuke was right then - Tai was thinking of getting back with the fucker.

The brunette blinked at him, apparently missing the poison in his tone, and cancelled the call. "How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess."

"Yeah," Tai confirmed, at least having the decency to look guilty - not that it made Matt feel any better. "He said you broke his nose - it looks pretty bad."

Matt couldn't even _pretend _not to be happy about that. He gave his shoulders an unconcerned shrug, and said, "Can't say I'm sorry."

Tai actually laughed, a sound filled with amusement and genuine affection. "I don't blame you," he admitted, throwing the phone onto the couch with more force than was entirely necessary. "I know how infuriating he can be - especially over the last couple of weeks." He looked back at Matt closely, as though judging his reaction, and added, "He's been calling me."

"Why's that?" the blond asked, attempting to sound as clueless as possible, although he already knew the answer.

Tai shrugged, and crossed his arms, defensive, as though he expected the blond to attack him. "To get back together, I guess."

Matt watched him for a long moment, trying to work up the courage to voice what he wanted, while simultaneously fearing Tai's response. He kept trying to tell himself that it didn't matter to him, that he and Tai weren't together anymore, and that he needed to move on, but his feelings weren't quite cooperating. He didn't _want_ Tai to be with anyone else - and not just Ikato.

He took in a breath, closed his eyes, and asked, "Do you want to get back together with him?"

"No!" Tai blurted immediately, but his expression was still pained, and still confused. "Well, I don't know. We were together for ages -"

Matt sincerely felt like slapping his hand to his forehead. "And he cheated on you!" he interrupted, before Tai could even finish his sentence. "Look, maybe this is none of my business, but you deserve better than that twat, Tai. I know I probably didn't treat you as well as I should have either, but it wasn't intentional. I had a lot of my own issues, and I'm sorry for dragging you into that."

Tai was staring at him, in a blank, bemused sort of way. "I don't understand. What are you saying? Are you trying to get back together with me?"

"No. I'm not," Matt replied honestly, because he may still have had feelings for Tai, but that didn't mean he could ignore everything that happened. "You obviously still have feelings for someone else, and I will not play second fiddle to _Ikato_." He let out a breathy laugh. "I just don't want you to make a stupid mistake."

"_Why_?" Tai asked, throwing up his arms, "Why should it matter to you, after everything?"

Matt gave him a look, because seriously, wasn't the answer obvious? "Because I care about you," he replied simply.

**TBC…**

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_**A/N **Yay! An update that took less than several years, and it's long too! I've read back on everything I've done so far, and it annoys me now that I can see so many spelling/grammar mistakes in the previous chapters. I've been thinking about rewriting them ( for correction purposes only, the plot won't change at all!) but I think it will delete all the reviews :(_

_And thanks everyone, for the kind reviews for the last chapter! I was nervous that people were going to be annoyed about the long wait, so it was really great for people to say such nice things - it motivated me to get this chap out much faster ;) Please review and let me know what you think!_


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